Complicated Life
by Na-chan1
Summary: Added Chapter 10 for those who wanted it. AU! Tomoyo's off to college in Tokyo! Outside, she's the epitome of perfection but inside she's another case. Competitive by nature, she tries to be the best until she is defeated by Eriol Hiiragizawa. An ExT.
1. Life on Top

"Complicated Life"  
By: Na-chan  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura and some other stuff on this fic. They belong to   
someone else.   
  
Chapter 1: Life on the Top  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The cool evening breeze whipped her lovely face, causing her to shiver. But she had to stay; she   
had to see the town since it would be the last time. She'd never see it like this again, not   
through the same perspective she had at the moment. The lights illuminated the dark sky, making   
the stars jealous at their faint yet colorful glimmer. She smiled faintly, her cheeks pink from   
the cold. "I'll be back." She whispered, letting the wind carry her voice.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Months later  
  
"What time is it?" the ebony haired girl asked groggily. No answer. Then she remembered. She   
wasn't in Tomoeda anymore. She wasn't home at all. She mentally berated herself for not getting   
used to the fact that she was now living alone in Tokyo. College life was very different from   
high school. Waking up at this unholy hour to study was one thing she wasn't used to at all.   
Midterms were in a week and she wasn't 100% prepared. She had moved from Tomoeda with high hopes   
that she would be able to study harder if she lived nearer her university in the capital. The   
first week didn't go as planned but she had managed.   
  
"Okay! Better get started." She was trying to psyche herself up. Getting up from her bed, she   
opened the lampshade she had on her mahogany study table. Stacks of papers were placed neatly on   
one side while the other side held her thick books. Taking her notebook from the drawer, she   
studied until dawn. She wasn't going to make her move go to waste.   
  
A week later...  
  
"Hey, Daidouji!" Tomoyo didn't need to turn around to see who had greeted her. She knew the voice   
instantly. Plastering a smile, she faced the blonde boy who had called her. "Hey to you too."  
  
Kazuma Ikegami grinned, showing his white teeth. "How'd it go with the test? I thought it was a   
killer."   
  
"It was okay," The girl replied, lying. The test was hard, but she wasn't going to tell that to   
just anyone especially Kazuma. Knowing him, he'd probably tease her about losing her touch.  
  
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Hmm...if I didn't know you I'd say you were lying," He   
whispered, a hint of teasing in his voice.   
  
"Ikegami!" Tomoyo swatted Kazuma with her books. He in turn, laughed heartily. This was pretty   
much how things went on with them. Some who didn't know them had mistaken them to be together but   
those who did said otherwise. Tomoyo was like a little sister to Kazuma and besides; he was head   
over heels in love with a certain Tsubasa Shinobiki.   
  
People looked at them oddly. Model students like the two were supposed to be examples to the   
whole student body. If this was the kind of behavior they were showing, how else for the other   
students who weren't as gifted as them?  
  
"Stop laughing like that," Tomoyo hissed. "People are staring," She added, voice barely above a   
whisper.   
  
Kazuma raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Tell them to mind their own beeswax."  
  
Tomoyo repressed the urge to giggle. Sometimes he could be so obnoxious. Regaining her composure,   
she smiled forcibly at the on looking students. It was embarrassing-the top student of the   
University of Tokyo goofing around. 'I hope this doesn't change their image of me...'  
  
"Well, see you later...I guess." He winked as if to say, "Don't worry about it." The girl was too  
conscious about what others thought of her.  
  
She smiled lightly. "Yeah." Waving, she walked away from the prying eyes of the students and left   
the campus.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
In the Dean's office...  
  
An eighteen-year-old lad sat on the wood chair. It was uncomfortable in a seat such as this,   
especially when you were here for doing something against the rules. But he was here on a   
different matter, so he need not worry about him being the uncomfortable one. Sitting across   
from him, at the oak desk was a thin old man with white hair. The Dean was the one uncomfortable   
with the position.  
  
"Hiiragizawa Eriol, I presume. I am the headmaster of this university-" he was cut off abruptly   
by Eriol.   
  
"Dean Hako Minazuki, I've heard. I'm sorry if I'm being rude but I would like to know if you plan   
on accepting me in this university," The young man said coolly. He was in a hurry-he still had an interview  
with another university.  
  
The old man smiled at the boy. He understood the situation Eriol was going through. "Ah, yes. But   
we don't have a recommendation...it is the middle of the semester."  
  
Eriol pulled out an envelope from his pocket. It was from his former university in England. "I   
hope this meets your needs. I also have the list of my past achievements." He held up another   
envelope, much bigger and bulkier than the first.   
  
The dean took the legal sized envelope from the lad. Opening the said article, he scanned his   
eyes quickly on the document. There were numerous words of praise for the boy in the letter.  
'Eriol is very exceptional, he is one of England's finest...' With words such as these the dean  
couldn't resist the urge to accept him.  
  
"I see everything is in order. Welcome to the University of Tokyo," The aged man finally said.  
He extended his hand to Eriol who shook it.   
  
After that little handshake, Hako had thought the young man would leave. Instead, Eriol has sat   
down again and asked him why he hadn't looked at the other envelope. The headmaster was silent at   
that when an idea struck him.   
  
"Hiiragizawa, I don't want to see plain writings on paper. I want to see you in action. There are   
a few tests I want you take..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Two weeks later...  
  
It was noon and Tomoyo Daidouji had just come from her class in Physics. Walking down the noisy   
hallway, she noticed a crowd gathering by the bulletin board. Recognizing one of the students in   
the crowd as Tsubasa Shinobiki, she tapped her friend lightly on the back.   
  
"Tomoyo! Have you seen the scores yet?" Tsubasa asked smiling brightly. Tomoyo couldn't help but   
smile back.   
  
"Nope," the amethyst-eyed girl replied, shaking her head, making her long tresses bob from their   
ponytail bind.   
  
"Yeah, me too. This crowd's been blocking the way." Tsubasa tried to make her way to the bulletin   
board pulling Tomoyo along. At the sight of Tomoyo making her way to the score sheet, the crowd   
broke apart as if to make way. The girl smiled gratefully at the students but couldn't help but   
notice their curious looks.   
  
"Come on, Daidouji!" Tsubasa was getting impatient.   
  
"Aah." Tomoyo replied as she walked toward the test results, hoping she had gotten the highest   
score again. The only person she could guess getting the highest score other than her was Kazuma   
Ikegami.   
  
When she had reached the results, Tsubasa was practically glowing. "I got into the top 20," She   
whispered to Tomoyo. Tomoyo in turn, flashed her a smile as if to say congratulations. Scanning   
the results quickly, she was not pleased when she had seen that she was tied for first place with   
someone who wasn't Kazuma. The name Hiiragizawa Eriol was neatly printed on the sheet of paper   
beside hers.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What score did you get, Daidouji?" Kazuma had asked her for the third time. He was walking with   
her to go for some ice cream.   
  
Tomoyo didn't respond. She was too deep in her thoughts. A small frown was growing on her   
beautiful features, a frown not so often seen.   
  
"I heard you got the highest but tied with an Eriol Hiiragizawa," Tomoyo's ears perked up at the   
mention of the name. Kazuma smiled to himself. "Score!" he told himself silently.  
  
"Yeah I did," Tomoyo seemed to snap out of her reverie. Replacing her frown into a brilliant   
smile, she turned toward her concerned friend. "Don't worry about it, I'm okay."  
  
Kazuma let out a sigh. "If you say so, Daidouji..." but deep in his heart he knew Tomoyo was not   
okay. She was competitive even if she didn't look like it at all. "So what flavor do you want?"   
  
"The usual, a scoop of-"  
  
"-rocky road and another scoop for vanilla. Yeah, yeah I know." Kazuma smirked. He knew her too   
well even if they had just met a few weeks ago.   
  
Tomoyo pouted. "Hey, no fair!" she crossed her slim arms across her chest. She was frowning but   
inside she was smiling. At least she could forget her problems for a little longer.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
In the living room inside the Victorian house outside Tokyo, Eriol Hiiragizawa was having a   
conversation over the phone with his mother. By the look on his face he seemed glad to hear his   
parent's voice.   
  
"Did they accept you, dear?" came the calm yet worried tone of Fennis Hiiragizawa.  
  
"Yes, mother. I've even found an apartment near the university."  
  
"Really? That's good. Call me when you move in, okay?"  
  
"Sure. Do you want to speak to obaasan?" Eriol asked uncertain. There was a pause then the other   
line replied.  
  
"Why not? Is she there?"   
  
"Not at the moment." The answer was something she did not expect.   
  
"Oh, well tell her I said hi." Disappointment was in her voice. "Goodbye then. Sorry about making   
you attend college in a foreign land."  
  
Eriol nodded. He didn't blame his mother for making him go to Tokyo. "It's fine. Besides, it was   
father's idea."  
  
"Well, he always had the weirdest ideas but that's the reason why I love him..."  
  
"Yeah...tell him his son called, okay?" He could almost see his mother smirking over the phone.   
  
"I think I can arrange that. Take care." And at that, Fennis hung up.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Across town, in a classic Japanese restaurant, Tomoyo was engaged in a conversation with her   
mother.  
  
"How did the exam go?" Sonomi asked her child who was sipping tea.   
  
Tomoyo set her cup down before replying. "It was alright."   
  
"How were the results?" Sonomi didn't like simple answers.   
  
"They were satisfying..." Tomoyo didn't like to brag to her mother even though she was fighting  
back the urge to do so.  
  
Sonomi sighed. "What's wrong with you honey? I'm sure you got higher grades than satisfying."  
  
"I got the highest." There she had said it. Instead of feeling a bit of guilt the girl actually   
felt better.  
  
"I knew you could do it." There was a smile on Sonomi's face, one filled with pride.   
  
Tomoyo felt uncomfortable all of the sudden. Was it because she felt guilty about not being the   
only one on top? She knew she couldn't get any score higher than her current grade. 'You're being   
selfish.' She mentally berated herself. But it wasn't her fault that she was feeling this...or   
was it?   
  
"I'm so proud of you, dear." Her mother was praising her. Tomoyo smiled. She liked to be praised.   
Ever since she was a toddler. Maybe that was the reason why she was feeling guilty. She could   
almost hear her mother's voice back then. 'We have high expectations of you...' And these   
expectations she tried to meet.   
  
~~~Tsuzuku~~~  
  
Author's Notes: How did it go? Want me to continue? Want me to stop? Drop a review so I would get  
the picture! 


	2. Until We Meet

"Complicated Life"  
By: Na-chan  
  
Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura does no belong to me!!!! Other people own it!!!!! I also do not  
own the song Obvious. It belongs to Christina Aguilera.  
  
Chapter 2: Until We Meet  
  
To all those who reviewed thanks! To Ceri, yup, I have seen karekano and this fic is probably  
along those lines...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The sun had risen on yet another beautiful day in the western part of Tokyo where the no. 1   
student of the University of Tokyo resided. Unfortunately for her, she was awoken by the sounds   
of furniture being moved in next door.   
  
"Who's making all that racket?" the sleepy teenaged girl asked wearily. She was certainly not in   
a good mood considering the fact that she was experiencing a headache, probably caused by   
drinking too much tea the night before.   
  
Opening the door that led out of her bedroom, she ventured through the living room before going   
outside, not caring about how she looked at that moment. Upon reaching the hallway, which   
connected all the apartments together, the irritated student noticed that the source of the noise   
was coming from the apartment beside hers-number 206.   
  
Eyeing the workers moving the furniture suspiciously, she snapped, "Who's moving in this   
apartment?"  
  
"S-Some guy from England, miss." Replied the surprised man who was lifting a chair from the   
ground.   
  
"I see." Satisfied with the answer, Tomoyo retreated back to her apartment pushing away her   
thoughts of her inconsiderate new neighbor. He was new; she had to give him a chance.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Excuse me but may I ask if there is a student by the name of Hiiragizawa Eriol studying in this   
university?" Tomoyo asked politely. She couldn't keep her curiosity at bay. Whoever this   
Hiiragizawa character was he had to be listed as a threat to dethrone her from her top spot.   
  
The elderly woman looked up from behind the counter. "Ah, Daidouji-san. Please wait a minute."   
The woman looked through the file cabinet behind her under the letter H. After a minute, she   
shook her head at the younger girl.   
  
"I'm sorry, Daidouji-san. There are no students listed under that name."  
  
"Really? Thank you for your time," Tomoyo said courteously, trying to hide the disappointment in   
her soft voice. Turning away from the counter, she pondered on the topic. There was no one in the   
whole campus named Hiiragizawa. Then who had tied with her for first place? Whoever thought this   
to be a joke was messing with the wrong person.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Months passed without incident. Finals were coming up. As usual, Tomoyo was in her zone again,   
studying until daybreak. She wasn't going to let that Hiiragizawa beat her especially when he   
didn't exist or so she thought. Some would call her selfish and self-centered but she had known  
no other life than to work for herself.   
  
In the apartment 206 however, that certain Hiiragizawa was also studying for the upcoming final   
but not as hard as the girl next door. He knew the material, he had studied it back in London but   
he couldn't let his parents down-he HAD to get a high grade.   
  
Trying to concentrate on the book propped in front of him, he couldn't help but smirk as he   
recalled the past months. They were the most fun he had in weeks. People were not as uptight here   
as they were in London. He had his father to thank for that. Masashi Hiiragizawa was a purebred   
Japanese who moved to England in search of a job. There he had met Fennis whom he had married.   
  
Eriol's train of thought was broken by his black cat, Spinel Sun. Though pets were not allowed   
inside the apartment building, the boy had managed to persuade the landlady. Spinel was tearing   
up his notebook in which he had kept his precious notes.   
  
"Spinel Sun!" the boy was a furious at his pet companion. Snatching the notebook from his cat, he   
proceeded to try to retrieve his lost notes but they were already shredded into pieces.   
  
"Meow?" Spinel did not understand why his master was getting angry with him for tearing up a few   
sheets of paper. Eriol had never gotten angry at him for tearing up pieces of paper lying on the   
floor.   
  
Glaring at the cat, Eriol went to his bedroom, closing the door shut. He was boiling inside. If   
he hadn't left the room he could've killed the poor thing.   
  
He laid himself on his comfortable bed. Shutting his weary eyes, he tried to make his anger for   
the cat go away. After a few minutes, he had fallen into a deep slumber.   
  
The next week went pretty smoothly with Eriol considering it was the finals. He tried to ignore   
Spinel completely but failed miserably. Though he had been giving his pet enough food, he refused   
to play with the animal. Some would call it cruelty to animals but Eriol called it due   
punishment.   
  
After slaving his hours studying, Eriol finally got through with the finals. He felt so satisfied   
he forgot he was ignoring Spinel. The minute he got home he looked for his faithful companion.   
After several minutes of looking, he noticed the glass doors of the balcony open.   
  
Cursing under his breath, he slid then open, hoping to find his pet sleeping outside. Then a   
horrible thought struck him. What if the cat had fallen from the balcony? It certainly wouldn't   
survive the fall. They were seven stories above the ground for Pete's sake!  
  
Panicked, Eriol left his apartment, praying his companion was safe.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was late that evening when Tomoyo finally came home. Using her keys to open the locked door,   
she slid inside wearily. The finals were over and now she could finally catch up on her sleep.   
  
Not bothering to open the light, she walked to her bedroom. After changing out of her clothes and   
into a nightgown, she hurried to bed. She was out immediately. Unbeknownst to her, a small black   
cat slid beside her while she was off in dreamland.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The first rays of sunlight entered the room of the unsuspecting Daidouji, trying its best to make   
its presence noticeable. Upon reaching the eyelids of the teenager, these surprised victims   
fluttered open, revealing the brilliance of the girl's amethyst eyes.   
  
"Good morning..." she said, a smile playing on her relaxed features. She was still lying on her   
bed, not having a care in the world. The finals were over and they were given a break-something   
she really needed after hours of stress.   
  
Suddenly, something stirred beside Tomoyo that made her jump. "What was that?" she was obviously   
freaked. Maybe she had been watching too many horror flicks. Cautiously, she lifted her printed   
blanket from the bed.   
  
"Meow..." came the startled purr from the other occupant of the bed-a black cat. It stared at   
Tomoyo with its wide eyes.   
  
Tomoyo sighed in relief. It was only a cat not a monster. "Where'd you come from?" she observed   
the animal closely. "It's probably a Bombay." Tomoyo mused. Its black coat of fur was shiny and   
it had a collar around its neck in a shape of a sun. The name Spinel Sun was engraved in italics.  
  
"Spinel Sun? That's an odd name." Tomoyo held her hand out to Spinel. She knew it was a trained   
animal since it was well taken care of. But if it was well taken care of, why is it here? The   
girl couldn't help wondering.  
  
Smiling at the feline, Tomoyo waited for it to come closer. When it did, it licked her the palm   
of her hand affectionately. "I'm Tomoyo." The girl whispered softly. She was surprised when the   
cat almost smiled at the simple introduction.   
  
Spinel was having his own thoughts. Though he was only an ordinary domestic cat, that didn't mean   
he didn't know a good master when he saw one. Since cats don't have consciences, Spinel didn't   
even think twice to befriend the human in front of him and feel guilty of having another loyalty   
to a certain master next door.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It had been a few weeks since Spinel had gone missing. Tomoyo had tried to look for the owner but   
no one had heard of anyone looking for a lost animal since animals weren't allowed in the   
building and these things were the kind of matters people rarely remembered. Eriol hadn't asked   
for any help in looking for Spinel-he relied mostly on answers he got from people who lived in   
the apartment building who didn't even know that pets were allowed inside the place. He had   
almost given up on the search but he still had hope that he would find his furry friend. He   
missed that Felis domesticus even if he didn't show it much.  
  
The results of the finals were already posted yesterday but the boy had been too preoccupied to   
look them up. Today he had decided to catch a glimpse on the said results-just to make sure he   
hadn't done badly and had to be sent back to London. Walking toward the bulletin board where the   
listing was, he noticed a raven-haired girl around his age he had never seen around the campus.   
She was smiling brightly, which made him think of the goddess Aphrodite in all her glory. What's   
wrong with you Hiiragizawa? Concentrate on the task at hand! His mind was commanding him to just   
shrug away the thought of the girl. Recognizing a familiar face in the crowd, he decided to make   
his way to his friend, thoughts on the beautiful goddess vanishing from his mind.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Tomoyo was just looking up her name on the listing of results from the finals. She held back a   
laugh when she saw that she had beaten that non-existent Hiiragizawa. Smiling profusely, she   
turned to Tsubasa who was beside her.  
  
"That went well," the brunette commented when she saw Tomoyo's glowing face.   
  
"Yup. Let's celebrate!"  
  
"Let's go to that new Japanese restaurant that just opened in front of the mall." Tsubasa   
suggested. She liked spending time with her friends when they weren't thinking about schoolwork.   
  
"Why not? Maybe later at 8?" Tomoyo was already thinking ahead of time. Who would come with them?   
What would she order? Who would pay the bill? But her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a   
voice from behind her. Not caring to turn around, she listened on the conversation not paying  
much attention to the details  
  
"Tough luck, Hiiragizawa. Daidouji's beaten you." Tomoyo's eyes widened at the name of her rival   
who she had thought of to be non-existent. Maybe her hearing was deluding her.  
  
A deep voice replied, "No big deal. Maybe I should go and congratulate her." At that, Tomoyo   
turned around quickly. Scanning the crowd, she found only familiar faces and no Hiiragizawa   
Eriol.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I'm home!" Tomoyo called when she had gotten inside her apartment. Spinel automatically bounded   
from the kitchen to his new mistress. "Meow..." it purred, playfully rubbing itself on the girl's   
legs.   
  
Tomoyo giggled. "Stop it, Spinel! I'm ticklish..." she picked up the cat from the floor. "Sorry   
if you get lonely." She whispered as she stroked its fur back and forth.  
  
"Meow..." Spinel purred once more, as if to say 'don't stop'.   
  
"Sorry but I can't stay for long. I have to go out for dinner." The girl explained as if the   
animal understood what she was saying. Surprisingly, it seemed to react to the statement since it   
looked at her with its brilliant aquamarine eyes, a hint of pleading in them. For an ordinary   
Bombay cat, Spinel was really smart.  
  
Tomoyo groaned. She had seen that look on Spinel's face before. "Don't look at me like that." She   
shielded her amethyst eyes from the disarming stare the cat was giving her. Entering the living   
room, she sank into the beige couch. Spinel jumped beside her. "But you know what? I don't feel   
like going out now..." the girl whispered to her companion.   
  
"Meow." Spinel seemed to nod in agreement.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was already midnight and Tomoyo was sitting on the couch watching television-she had canceled   
her little celebration bash with her friends. She had settled for something less- a nice homemade   
meal with her pet cat who was currently snuggled beside her, asleep.   
  
"...And now a word from our sponsors." Tomoyo switched the appliance off-her eyes were getting   
tired from all the radiation the television was emanating. 'I need fresh air...' she thought   
rubbing her temples. The balcony would be a good place to start.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What's wrong with me? Why can't I sleep?" Eriol raked his fingers through his rumpled hair. He   
had gone to bed an hour ago but he still couldn't fall asleep. "Today's the only day I get to   
sleep early and this happens," he muttered. 'Maybe I do have insomnia like Okaasan said.' He had   
gotten out of bed and was currently staring at the brilliant jewels in the sky. There was no moon   
that night but that didn't mean that he couldn't see anything without the light. The lights   
coming from the city were enough to let him see clearly.   
  
"The view from here is very beautiful," he whispered wistfully. The scenery before him reminded   
him of London at night-something he enjoyed admiring. His thoughts were cut short when he heard a   
soft but beautiful feminine voice over the sounds of the cars down below. He was immediately   
drawn to it.  
  
Can you hear it in my voice   
Was it something I let slip   
Does the whole world know   
Isn't it obvious?  
  
I'm the one who's in control   
Now I'm acting like a fool   
Do my feelings show?   
Is my face aglow?   
Isn't it obvious?  
  
That I don't know what I'm doing anymore   
I'm feeling like a little girl   
Caught up in emotions   
I'm out of control   
Isn't it obvious?  
  
The voice suddenly stopped, making Eriol wonder who the singer was. It could have been anyone,   
but he felt a sudden bond to that person. Maybe this person understood. Understood him.  
  
'That voice...I need to meet whoever owns it. I will find her.'  
  
~~~Tsuzuku~~~  
  
Author's Notes: Sorry, no ExT moments just yet! Hehehe...I'm just trying to psyche you guys up.  
Don't worry, next chapter, The Awaited Meeting! 


	3. Awaited Meeting

"Complicated Life"  
by: Na-chan  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Card Captor Sakura and some other stuff in this fic. They belong to   
someone who's not me.  
Chapter 3: The Awaited Meeting  
  
Author's notes: Sorry for not updating sooner. Exams are coming up so I can't update as much.  
Don't worry I'll upload two chapters to make up for next week since I won't be posting then.  
Enjoy!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What classes are you going to take this semester?" the blue-eyed blonde asked. He had his hands  
in his pockets and was chatting animatedly with his girlfriend.   
  
"Hmm...I'm switching to Spanish instead of English."  
  
"Really? Me too."  
  
"What! Don't go teasing me when I'm in a bad mood." The girl hit the boy playfully on the head   
with the books she was carrying. The couple had just come from the library and were on their way  
home.  
  
"Oww...That hurt you know. I'm serious. I've just realized that Spanish has always been my   
calling." Kazuma replied, giving Tsubasa a stern look.  
  
Tsubasa giggled. "I hate it when you get all serious. You look older than my mother!" A pause   
then, "If that's what you want...go for it." she smiled for added effect. You have to be   
supportive not pushy, her mother had lectured once. She laughed at the memory.  
  
He smirked. "You've been talking to your mother again." It was a statement not a question.  
  
She turned a light shade of pink, "NO! Why would I do that?"   
  
"Defensive today, eh?"   
  
"You're the one to talk Mr. I-went-to-sleep-early-but-in-truth-didn't-sleep-a-wink-from-playing-  
playstation-and-don't-want-to-tell-my-girlfriend-when-she-asked-why-I-slept-in-class."  
  
"Hey! I slept for 2 hours!"  
  
She narrowed her eyes as if to say, 'Don't push it'.  
  
"Eep. Alright, let's switch topics, Hime."  
  
"Fine. How's our impeccable friend? I haven't seen her lately."  
  
"She's still little miss perfect."  
  
The brunette sighed. "Tomoyo needs to cool off sometimes. She's such an obsessive compulsive   
person though she'd never admit it to anyone."  
  
Kazuma nodded in agreement. "She's pretty uptight when it comes to grades. What she needs is a  
boyfriend."  
  
She gasped.   
  
"What's wrong? Did I say something to offend you?"  
  
"Iie...It's not that." she was frowning. "Tomoyo wouldn't like the idea of us setting her up with  
somebody. Her types include wealthy guys, period. But she DID set us up."  
  
"We were in love to begin with. She just gave us a little push."  
  
"A blind date at the Tokyo tower, two complimentary tickets to see L'Arc~en~Ciel...the list goes   
on. That wasn't just a little push."  
  
"You do have a point but if you don't-"  
  
"-like the idea? Actually, I don't approve of setting her up DELIBERATELY but if it was   
accidental..."  
  
He grinned. Sneaky Tsubasa. She plotted schemes even before he knew what was going on. "Let's  
say...I have a party at my house on Saturday." he suggested a mischievous smile plastered on his  
face.  
  
"And I bring a friend whose name just happens to be Tomoyo..."  
  
"I'll invite my friends and a suitable companion for our raven-haired enchantress."  
  
"Operation Matchmaker, mission start!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Operation Matchmaker Step 1: Persuade Tomoyo into coming to the party  
  
On the phone talking to Tsubasa, our heroine has no idea of the plan her friends had made for  
her.  
  
"No thanks. I have to study."  
  
"Tomoyo-CHAN! Please! I won't know anyone there at the party!"  
  
"You know Kazuma and besides you're not the only girl he's inviting."  
  
"I know that. But you're my closest friend! You study too much! And if you come, people think   
that you're not too uptight when it comes to grades."  
  
"I am not uptight. I'm just concerned."  
  
"A little partying won't hurt your perfect grades would it?"  
  
"No...but still!"  
  
"You're so stubborn. I should've let Kazuma ask you."  
  
"Alright. I'll go. But I'm not getting drunk!"  
  
"I didn't say you had to be. Seriously, why would I let you ruin your life by getting you   
addicted to alcohol? You're already too high on caffeine."  
  
"I'll let that comment slide. Well I got to go. Got to make dinner for Spinel."  
  
"Spinel? Who's Spinel? Tomoyo-chan!"   
  
The other line went dead.  
  
"She hung up."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Operation Matchmaker Step 2: The Party  
  
Loud music came from the two-story house that the Ikegamis resided in. The drive way was packed   
with automobiles ranging from new models to antiques. This was definitely the place.  
  
As the dark haired teen approached the stylish abode of his newfound acquaintance, he couldn't  
help but wonder why the neighbors of the said house weren't rushing to complain about the   
boisterous sounds that were disturbing their night's rest. Probably they had gotten used to it.  
  
"Yo Hiiragizawa! Glad you could join us. Guys, Hiiragizawa Eriol." Kazuma greeted the boy warmly  
as Eriol reached the entrance. Since he had been only been in Tokyo for half a term, Eriol had  
only met a few people. Kazuma, he had met the week before in the hallway on his way to class.  
  
His fellow students nodded at the introduction. So this was the famous Hiiragizawa whom they   
were always being compared to. He WAS good-looking like the rumors had said, and his appearance  
demanded respect. The boys couldn't help but feel jealous of the perfect Eriol but such feelings  
had dissolved when they had gotten to know him.  
  
After an hour of socializing, Eriol went outside to a balcony on the second floor. He had a glass  
of water in his hand. He couldn't drink and drive himself home and besides, he was under age.  
  
There he had chanced upon the raven-haired goddess he had stolen a glance from before. He   
quickly apologized for intruding her privacy.  
  
"No, it's okay. I like company." the girl replied smiling faintly, hiding the annoyance in her   
soft voice. This guy would probably be here to give her one of those pick-up lines like 'Hi,   
Gorgeous' or something. She had experience with those guys and was calculating on how she could  
escape if this certain man had tried to get aggressive. She was surprised when he had ignored her  
completely and leaned on the rail of the balcony.  
  
"Don't worry. I won't try to give you a line like 'Hi, Gorgeous'," He said looking at the stars,  
obvious to her reaction. "You can even push me off this balcony if I try to do something stupid,"  
he added, still not meeting her curious gaze.  
  
Tomoyo propped her arms on top of the railing and stared into the endless night. "Nice weather  
we're having," she commented.  
  
"It's pretty much the same from where I came from."  
  
"Really? So you're not from here?" Usually she didn't have the time for mindless chatter such as   
this but she felt intrigued by him.  
  
"I'm from England. You're a native, right?"  
  
"You could say that. So what brings you to Japan?"  
  
"University. It's a tradition in our family to go to Tokyo and study here all through out our   
college lives." He paused before finally facing her. Man! She's more gorgeous up close, He   
thought for a second.  
  
"I see. I'm Daidouji Tomoyo." She held her hand out to him in a friendly gesture. She felt she   
could trust him enough to let him know her name.  
  
"Hiiragizawa Eriol. Nice to meet you Daidouji-san." There was a flash of emotions on Tomoyo's   
face but they quickly disappeared before Eriol could notice.   
  
There was a pause before the girl spoke. "Same here. Well I have to go. See you around,   
Hiiragizawa-kun." And at that she left the balcony, leaving Eriol alone.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Inside the house, a surge of emotions overwhelmed Tomoyo as she tried to get over the shock of   
meeting a person whom she believed to be a fragment of her imagination.   
  
The person whom she just had a decent conversation with was the person she had grown to despise   
over the past months. 'Calm down Daidouji. It's not like anything's going to change after this.'   
The inner voice inside of her lectured. 'Yeah right. Now she can plot on ways how to keep him   
from getting good grades and how to let him mess up.' Her selfish side was joining in on the   
heated debate between Tomoyo, her conscience and her heart.   
  
"Are you okay Tomoyo?" Tsubasa asked worriedly, snapping her friend out of her trance.  
  
"Now that you mention it, I'm feeling kind of dizzy." Tomoyo lied. If there was one thing her   
friends didn't know was that she was a façade to everyone even to them. She trusted no one.  
  
The brunette felt for Tomoyo's temperature to see if she was sick. "You don't seem to be sick.   
Did you drink anything besides the root beer I gave you?"  
  
Tomoyo shook her head. "I'm just tired. Maybe I'll go home early." 'Like now.' She wanted to add.  
  
"Alright. But I'm not letting you go home alone. It's dangerous this time of night. I'll go with   
you."  
  
"No. Stay here. I can manage."  
  
"Daidouji Tomoyo, I am not going to let you go home alone and that's final."   
  
"Whoa! What's going on?" Kazuma had stumbled upon the two ladies having an argument. He stood in   
between as if he was the referee.   
  
Tsubasa placed her slim arms on her hips. For someone who was only a little taller than five feet,   
she managed to look scary enough to give someone goosebumps. "Tomoyo insists that she could go   
home alone at this time of the night."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "It's too dangerous all alone especially if you're a girl." It was the   
girls' turn to raise their eyebrows. "Err...What I mean is the world is full of precarious   
things." He changed his previous sentence quickly. Girls could be so captious.   
  
"That's better. Well come on." Tsubasa gestured toward the stairs, a smile appearing on her   
relieved face.   
  
"But-"  
  
"No buts."  
  
"Ikegami! Help me out here." Tomoyo looked at Kazuma with pleading eyes.  
  
He shrugged. "Why don't you want Tsubasa to accompany you? Though I'd prefer to see her home   
myself..." He stopped when he saw his girlfriend giving him her evil eye.  
  
"I'll only let you go home if you have someone to go with you," Tsubasa finally said giving up.   
  
"Do you want me to ask one of the guys?" He offered, looking at Tomoyo uncertainly. It was their   
fault she was there in the first place.  
  
"Okay. Thanks," She replied, giving him a small genuine smile. She didn't want to ruin Tsubasa's   
night by making her friend go home early.  
  
A few minutes passed and Kazuma reappeared, followed by the dark-haired boy Tomoyo had met   
earlier. When Eriol saw Tomoyo, he smiled.  
  
"So we meet again Daidouji-san." He greeted.  
  
The girl managed a fake smile. She wasn't exactly thrilled to see him.  
  
"You've already met? That's good. At least I know Daidouji's in good hands," Kazuma said eyeing   
Tsubasa in the corner of his eye. She had kept quiet all of a sudden, which he had found unusual.  
  
Tsubasa watched the trio closely, a smile threatening to descend on her lips. 'She actually   
found someone! It wasn't like the plan but I guess it's better than nothing. Shinobiki, you're a   
genius.' She patted herself on the back.  
  
"Shall we go, Daidouji-san?" Eriol held his hand for the dainty maiden to take.   
  
Tomoyo took it vacillatingly. She trusted Hiiragizawa with her name but her life? Maybe she could   
reconsider.  
  
"Take care of her Hiiragizawa-san. You didn't drink any alcohol?" Tsubasa was a pessimist by   
nature.  
  
"Only water," He replied.  
  
"Good. See you Tomoyo." She waved at her chum and left together with Kazuma.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Can you drop me off at the bus stop? I can go home from there," Tomoyo suggested. She didn't   
feel at ease with this boy unlike before. She was seated on the passenger's seat across from her   
rival who was driving.   
  
"Don't worry about the distance, I only need directions." He reassured her, eyes on the road in   
front of him.  
  
"Are you sure? I live in the western district."  
  
"Me too."  
  
"Alright. Thanks for everything." She had lost this battle.   
  
"I've heard a lot about you during the party." He was trying to strike up a conversation.  
  
"Really?" Her tone suggested that she was uninterested.  
  
He ignored it. "They say you're the most perfect girl they've ever met. Top student, rich,   
beautiful, single..."  
  
"Nobody's perfect." She replied.  
  
"Yeah. Sorry about that. But I believe them."   
  
She smiled nervously. I should've taken Tsubasa's offer instead of going with Hiiragizawa, she  
slapped herself mentally. "Well, thanks for the compliment," She said trying to calm herself.  
  
"No problem. Should I turn left or right?" he was referring to the fork in the road-one led to   
the heart of the western district and the other near the outskirts.  
  
She paused as if unsure. Maybe I should jump out of the car and...NO! There's no turning back   
now. "Turn left," She finally said after thinking it over. This Hiiragizawa would be a hard one   
but she hadn't met anyone who could beat her at her own game yet. Deception played a major role   
in her life.  
  
~~~Tsuzuku~~~  
Author's notes: Err...how'd it go? Did you think it was too short? I know Tomoyo and Eriol are a   
bit out of character but this is an AU! 


	4. Ups and Downs

"Complicated Life"  
By: Na-chan  
  
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN CCS IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER!   
Chapter 4: Ups and Downs  
  
Author's Notes: To all those who reviewed I love ya guys! So here's the next chapter...and so the   
plot thickens...^^;  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"This is it. Thanks for the ride," Tomoyo said, smiling at Eriol. She opened the car door of the   
black Toyota with ease. They were currently parked in front of a small yet classy condominium.   
  
"No problem," He replied grinning at the girl. It really wasn't a problem-it was more of a   
present for him. Driving home the most attractive, sagacious girl he had ever known was FAR from   
being a nuisance.  
  
"See you around campus." She waved and entered the two-story building. When she was out of sight,   
Eriol breathed out a sigh of relief. Now to head on home...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The minute the black Toyota pulled out of the curb, the amethyst eyed teenager burst out of the   
condominium. She was smiling profusely-she had just outsmarted Hiiragizawa Eriol, her   
arch-nemesis.   
  
'Let's see...should I take the shortcut? Yeah, shortcut!' she tied her hair into a ponytail and   
ran toward the back alley which was hidden conveniently from the street's view. The apartment   
building wasn't far-only a block away.  
  
Upon reaching the ten-story building, she hurried past the receptionist's desk and into the half   
open elevator. "Wait!" she called to the man inside. The man in turn, pressed the open button to   
stop the closing doors long enough for Tomoyo to get in.  
  
"Thanks," she said, catching her breath. It wasn't such a good idea to run all the way home but   
she needed the exercise...and besides, it was dangerous at night.  
  
"Nice to see you again, Daidouji-san." The man greeted her, making her look up.  
  
She gasped.  
  
"H-Hiiragizawa! What are you doing here?"  
  
"I was going to ask you the same thing."  
  
She quickly made up an excuse. There was no way she was going to tell him she lied to him about   
living in the condominium a block away. She didn't say she LIVED there, she only told him to drop   
her off at that certain place...  
  
"I live here. Just had to give something to my cousin..." she went with a white lie. She didn't   
feel like giving him one of her full-fledged lies-not today at least.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me? I could've waited for you..." he could almost sense her uneasiness.  
  
"I didn't want to be rude."  
  
He smiled. "You're intelligent, beautiful and polite. What do you don't have?"  
  
"You didn't answer my question Hiiragizawa-san."  
  
"Straight to the point. I like that. I live here too."  
  
The girl froze. "How long have you staying here?" she managed to ask.  
  
"Since the middle of the first semester. Which floor?" Eriol gestured toward the buttons in front   
of him.  
  
"Seven." She covered her mouth suddenly. She was so used to saying seven that she did it   
unconsciously.   
  
"Me too." The words seemed to come out of his mouth in slow motion to Tomoyo.  
  
"R-Really? What a coincidence."   
  
"Yeah. Oh, here we are." The metallic doors slid open and he stepped out, followed by a reluctant   
Tomoyo. He walked toward his apartment door and pulled out his keys from his jeans pocket.  
  
She stopped. Apartment number 206...so he was that guy from England who rudely interrupted her   
beauty sleep a few months back. So what? Her inner voice asked. So nothing, her conscience   
replied nonchalantly. She was snapped out of her reverie when Eriol looked back at her, a small   
smile playing on his lips.  
  
"Good night, Daidouji-san." He entered the wooden oak door and disappeared, shutting the door   
behind him.  
  
"Good riddance." Tomoyo muttered.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Weeks passed and Tomoyo learned to tolerate the presence of Eriol without letting her emotions   
take the upper hand. It was very hard to avoid seeing him since he went to every party hosted by   
her friends, lived next door to her and had some classes with her due to her taking extra   
subjects.  
  
"Ohayo, Daidouji-san." This was one of those times.  
  
"Ohayo Hiiragizawa-san," Tomoyo greeted. They were both on the same elevator going down.  
  
Silence enveloped the two. It wasn't unusual-it had happened almost every single time they met.   
She had gotten used to it. Truth be told, she liked it better than talking to Eriol. He, of   
course, found it amusing that two people who were alike had nothing to talk about.  
  
This time he wanted something different. "Here we go again. Seriously, Daidouji-san why can't we   
have a decent conversation sometime?"  
  
She was taken aback but she recovered quickly and smiled. "I don't know. Why don't you tell me,   
Hiiragizawa-san?"  
  
He narrowed his eyes. He had never met anyone who could be as difficult as Daidouji. "Forget it."  
  
"Well, that's a start..."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
She laughed. "I had no idea you were such an agreeable person." Suddenly, she wasn't so annoyed   
with him.  
  
"You and everyone say that."  
  
"Really? What do you say?"  
  
"I don't say anything."  
  
"Hmm." She wrinkled her brow. "I'm not like you."  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
"I'm sort of belligerent."  
  
Eriol grinned. "Finally! A confession from the Queen of Perfection." He bowed comically.  
  
Tomoyo managed a fake smile. Inside, she wanted to slap herself for revealing confidential   
information to the "enemy". But he was being so persistent! her heart argued. You could've   
ignored him, her ever so logical mind said. Shut up, she screamed silently.   
  
He sensed her insincerity but shrugged it off. Daidouji Tomoyo. There was more to her than what   
met the eye.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was the 3rd of September when Tomoyo first graced the planet. She had been born healthy and   
there were no complications during her birth. However, eighteen years later there were   
complications.  
  
"Happy Birthday too you!" Everyone at the formal gathering chorused. Relatives, friends and   
acquaintances filled the gigantic ballroom where Tomoyo Daidouji celebrated her 18th birthday.  
  
"Thank you, minna." The birthday girl replied courteously. She smiled brightly. "Now everything's   
been said and done lets get on with this party shall we?"   
  
The people surrounding her dispersed, each engaging themselves in their own conversations.   
Several approached Tomoyo, most of whom where young men. They talked to her, boasting about their   
good looks. While they vaunted on and on, Tomoyo moved away unnoticed only to bump into Eriol.  
  
Darn. Why did I let Okaasama talk me into inviting him?  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
Two weeks earlier...  
  
"Tomoyo." Sonomi surprised her daughter, coming from behind the girl.  
  
"O-Okaasama! You surprised me. I didn't expect to see you around campus..." the girl looked  
around nervously, scanning the area for the media. Phew, there was none.  
  
"Don't worry dear. I made sure no press followed." Sonomi smiled reassuringly. Tomoyo was very  
particular when it came to the media.  
  
Tomoyo sighed. "What's the reason for your visit?"   
  
"Your birthday's in two weeks and I've been planning..." her mother's voice trailed off. Knowing  
Sonomi, it had probably taken a lot of will power to keep herself from planning her only   
daughter's birthday two months ahead.   
  
"Yes, it's on the 3rd of September."  
  
"I've arranged it to be at a hotel. It won't be too extravagant."  
  
"Really?" Tomoyo doubted her mother's words. Extravagant? Last year she said the exact   
same thing and it turned out to be more lavish than she would have liked.  
  
"Well..."  
  
Tomoyo sensed her mother's wistful tone and sighed. "I'll like it any way you plan it Okaasama."  
  
"Then that's settled. You can invite anyone you want. Tell them to wear something formal, okay?  
and let's see...your cake! It must be with cute sugar flowers..." Sonomi continued to tick off  
things from her list of preparations.   
  
Her daughter smiled and pretended to listen to her mother. It wasn't an option to argue with   
some of her parent's suggestions. Eyes straying from the person in front of her, she noticed a   
certain dark-haired boy approaching.   
  
"Konnichiwa Daidouji-san." that certain boy greeted courteously. This caused Tomoyo to turn her  
attention to the new arrival, and Sonomi to stop babbling.  
  
"Konnichiwa Hiiragizawa-san." The former greeted back.  
  
Silence. Both stared intently at each other, not wanting to break the tension between them.   
  
Sonomi coughed. "I must be on my way. I might be interrupting something."   
  
"No, Okaasama. It's alright."  
  
"I'm Hiiragizawa Eriol. Nice to meet you Daidouji-sama." Eriol introduced, smiling.  
  
"My, what a respectful young man! Your parents must be real proud," Sonomi said.  
  
He smiled brighter. "Not as proud as you about your daughter."  
  
"Tomoyo, I didn't know you had such a charming lad as a friend! Surely I'll be seeing him again  
on your birthday?"  
  
"Err...yeah." Tomoyo shifted nervously but retained a smile on her face. NO! He can't come! I'd  
rather die than invite him! she thought, clenching her fists unconsciously. Her reverie was   
broken when Sonomi asked her if something was wrong.  
  
"No, I'm fine." She had lied.  
  
"Are you sure? Well I'd better get going. Love you dear." Sonomi pecked her daughter on the   
cheek. Tomoyo mirrored the gesture.  
  
"Nice meeting you Hiiragizawa-san." and at that the older Daidouji left.  
  
END OF FLASHBACK  
  
"Thanks again for inviting me to your party, Daidouji-san." Eriol smiled.  
  
"No problem. Will you excuse me for a second? I need to get some fresh air." Tomoyo hurried away.  
To her disdain, Eriol followed her.  
  
"Can I accompany you?"  
  
NO! her mind screamed. "If you have nothing else to do..." she said, not wanting to be rude.   
Turning her back on him, she walked calmly out of the ballroom and into the hallway.  
  
He smiled, then followed.   
  
She walked hurriedly as to not let him follow any further. When she reached the crowded lobby, he  
was barely 3 feet away from her.  
  
Time to lose this guy.   
  
The Daidouji heiress pushed through the bustling group of people, careful not to look back at the  
pursuing Eriol. She reached the stairs and made her way up to the 3rd floor where an open   
elevator magically seemed to wait.   
  
Bingo! She thought happily and stepped inside, closing the metallic doors shut. She had lost him  
and now what? She certainly couldn't go back to the party since Hiiragizawa would be there nor  
could she go home without offending her mother.  
  
A label on one of the floor buttons caught her eye. She smiled, feeling rebellious all of a   
sudden. Now to have some fun. "I wonder..." She pressed the button and the elevator started to   
move.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He groaned as the doors of the elevator shut. That Daidouji's tougher than I give her credit for,  
the young Hiiragizawa thought, a bit annoyed and amused. He had followed her on purpose just to  
see her snap and show some emotion.   
  
"But she's too clever." he murmured to himself. Defeated, he headed back to the ballroom,   
readying himself to come face to face with the amethyst-eyed lass when he chanced upon Kazuma   
and Tsubasa.  
  
"Yo, Hiiragizawa! Did you see Daidouji?" Kazuma asked, scanning the crowd for the perfectionist  
birthday girl.  
  
Eriol frowned. "She isn't in the ballroom?"   
  
"No. We saw her leave a few minutes ago. Didn't you follow her or something?" Tsubasa asked,   
eyeing the blue-haired boy with suspicion.  
  
He fought back the urge to smile. This was a serious matter in Kazuma and Tsubasa's eyes. "She  
succeeded in losing me."  
  
The brunette narrowed her eyes. "Where could she be? We came in late and I haven't greeted her   
yet..."  
  
Kazuma patted his girlfriend reassuringly. "Don't worry, okay? Daidouji's a big girl. She can  
take care of herself. Let's split up and look for her."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
~~~Tsuzuku~~~  
  
Author's notes: Another chapter finished! Questions but no answers eh? Where could Tomoyo be?   
Can Eriol uncover Tomoyo's secret self? Find out next in Complicated Life, Chapter 5, "Secrets   
left untold". 


	5. Secrets Left Untold

"Complicated Life"  
By: Na-chan  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own CCS, kapeesh? And I also DO NOT OWN the song "Everything goes." It's by  
Natalie Imbruglia!  
Chapter 5: Secrets Left Untold  
  
Author's Notes: Sorry this chapter's taken sooooooo long! I got lazy and almost decided not to  
continue. Luckily, I had a conscience and chose to do it anyway. So here it is!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
An hour. It had been an hour since Tomoyo had gone missing. Sonomi still hadn't been notified and   
Eriol had almost given up hope in finding the girl. There were only two places he hadn't   
searched in. The bar and the sauna.   
  
Damn. Is she even in this hotel? He thought, running his hand through his half-disgruntled hair.  
He was headed towards the bar since the sauna was definitely not an option. When he reached the  
said location, he was stopped by the bouncer.   
  
"ID?" the burly man of 6 feet asked.  
  
Eriol pulled out an identification card and smiled.   
  
"Go on ahead."  
  
The boy entered and blinked. He was not accustomed to the dim lights in the bar since the   
hallway he had entered through was well lit. After a few minutes of adjusting, he scanned the   
area for a certain raven-haired lady. He found her sitting alone on the counter, downing a shot  
glass of alcohol. He approached her and tapped her from behind. "Daidouji-san? We've been looking   
all over for you."  
  
Tomoyo looked at him briefly before turning her full attention to her drink. "Go away," she said,  
her cheeks slightly red.  
  
He frowned. "I see you're exercising your right to drink now that you're eighteen."   
  
"Shut up."  
  
"I didn't know you were capable of such words, Daidouji-san." He said, amused but a hint of   
concern lingered. He took the stool beside her. The bartender approached him.  
  
"What'll it be sir?"  
  
"Just water. I'm driving tonight."  
  
"Good choice. Is this ojousan your friend? I think she's had more than she can take," the man   
said, eyeing Tomoyo.  
  
"I think so too. How many have you had?" Eriol asked her.  
  
"What's it to you?"  
  
He looked at the bartender for answers.   
  
"That's only her second one."  
  
"Second?" The boy couldn't help but smirk.   
  
"Well what's wrong with that??" Tomoyo asked, somewhat angry at being laughed at.   
  
He grabbed the half-finished beverage from her and grinned evilly. "It means your alcohol   
tolerance level is low." He drank the contents of the glass straight. "Ah. Vodka. Good choice."   
  
"Vodka?"  
  
"What? You mean you didn't know what you were drinking?"  
  
"Well, it's my first time to drink alcohol other than white wine!"  
  
"Such innocence will get you killed."  
  
"I am not innocent!" she tried to stand up but fell back into her chair, her eyes unfocused.  
  
He took this as a sign to get her out of this place. "You're coming with me. I think you owe  
me an explanation for being here ALONE." He stood up and tried to help her stand up when she   
pushed him away.  
  
"I don't owe you anything!" She stood up, a bit wobbly at first and started to walk away. Three  
steps later her feet buckled and she fell to the floor only to be caught by Eriol.  
  
"I'm taking you home."   
  
She simply nodded her head in agreement. She was too tired to argue anyway.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A black Toyota sped through the highway, its two pieces of human luggage inside.  
  
"Don't fall asleep," Eriol admonished the barely awake girl beside him. He kept his eyes on the   
road but constantly checked if his passenger was still conscious. "It'll be hard to carry you all  
the way upstairs."  
  
"Hah. Don't bother. I can take care of myself," Tomoyo said angrily. The car suddenly swerved   
perilously to the right and she bumped her head against the windowsill. "Oww! Do you abhor me  
so much you want to hand me over to Hades already?" She rubbed her head and glared at him.  
  
He ignored her sarcastic remark and continued to drive. "If you don't like my driving you can  
step out right now." He stopped the Toyota by the side of the road.  
  
"Fine." She opened the door and tried to stand up, but to no avail. She held the car door for   
balance.  
  
"Get in the car." He instructed her, a smirk on his handsome features. He was enjoying seeing her  
like this. Her vulnerability amazed him and her ability to put on a facade had disintegrated into  
thin air. He saw her as she was in truth, lost and helpless. This Tomoyo Daidouji was new to him.  
  
She pretended not to hear him. Her pride was hurt and she wasn't going to be like the typical  
girl who'd break in tears for him. "No thank you. I can get back to the hotel by myself."  
  
"Such belligerence. I now see before me the Daidouji behind the mask!" He derided her.  
  
She bent down to face him and said, "Well this Daidouji happens to detest you even before we  
met." Slamming the door in front of his face, she walked wobbly away.   
  
He didn't let her go far. Stepping out of the vehicle, he followed her. "Wait, Daidouji."  
  
"Leave me alone!"  
  
"It's not safe to wander the streets at night."  
  
"Well what's it to you!"  
  
Silence. "Your mother would kill me if I let you." He finally replied solemnly. It was the only   
excuse that came to mind.  
  
"Fat chance in that! Nobody cares! Nobody loves me....nobody...." She stopped walking and   
suddenly broke into sobs.   
  
He was at her side the next second. Holding out a navy blue handkerchief, he eyed her anxiously.  
"Shh. Sure someone does. You wouldn't be here if no one cared." He patted her head like she was  
a child in distress.  
  
She stopped her soap opera almost immediately and wiped her tears away with his handkerchief.   
"Yeah. You're right. I shouldn't be acting like this especially not in front of you." She smiled  
at him but it was a sincere smile unlike the other smiles she had given him.  
  
"You look better when you smile with your heart." He commented, grinning.  
  
"I'll keep that in mind. Now that I'm finished with my emotional rant let's head home."  
  
"Sounds good to me. Race you to the car!"  
  
"Sure..." Suddenly Tomoyo lost consciousness and fainted. Her abrupt outburst must have taken its  
toll on her already incoherent mind. Luckily once more Eriol had caught her. (Author's Notes:   
Great reflexes, man!)   
  
He panicked visibly. He felt her breathing and her pulse. They were both normal. He relaxed and  
carried her over to the automobile.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She regained consciousness right before they reached the hotel. They continued the drive in   
silence. They were also quiet when they entered the hotel and when they reached their rooms.  
  
Tomoyo was the first to break the deafening silence. "Arigato. Is there any way that I can repay  
you?" She asked, smiling pleasantly. It was useless to try and put up her mask in front of him  
now that he had discovered her weakness. She also hated being in debt to anyone especially to  
him. She did not despise him anymore but she still considered him as a formidable rival in   
academics.  
  
The boy eyed her oddly. "No... I don't think so."   
  
"Are you sure? I'll do anything legal."  
  
A mischievous glint appeared in his sapphire eyes and he grinned. "Well...there is something."  
  
"Which is...?"  
  
"I want to know more about you Daidouji-san. Are you free tomorrow? It's a Sunday."  
  
"Are you asking me out on a date?" Her eyes narrowed.  
  
"You said anything. Asking girls out on dates hasn't been banned yet, hasn't it?"  
  
She glared at him. "Alright. But after that I'm never going to talk to you again. Only when  
necessary."  
  
"What time will I pick you up?"  
  
"The less time we spend together the better."  
  
"Then I'll pick you up around seven."  
  
"Fine. But this doesn't mean I'll be friendly with you!" She crossed her arms around her chest.   
Man! I'm the one trying to be nice and he still tries to be obnoxious, She thought, opening her  
apartment door.  
  
"You already are." He grinned and patted her head. He opened his door and went in, leaving Tomoyo  
outside.  
  
The nerve of that guy! He makes me so mad! Ah!!! I hate him! He treats me like a child or worse..  
..like Spinel! She slammed her door behind her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The phone rang in the middle of the night. Tsubasa picked it up groggily. "Hello? Shinobiki   
residence. Tsubasa speaking."  
  
"Tsubasa. Good you're awake! Did you hear from Daidouji yet?"  
  
Her eyes snapped open. "Kazuma! What are you doing calling at this time of hour!?"  
  
"Daidouji-san has been pestering me about her daughter. She hasn't been seen yet. I've tried  
contacting Hiiragizawa but I got his answering machine," Her boyfriend explained.  
  
She yawned. "Tomoyo-san's probably at home asleep like the rest of us."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Of course. Besides what else will she be doing at this time of the night, sing to her cat or  
something?"  
  
"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Tsubasa. Good night. Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs-"  
  
"I get the picture. Night to you too." She was starting to put down the receiver already.  
  
"Wait! I forgot to say the most important reminder."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
His voice came loud and clear. "Love you." Then he slammed the phone down, not waiting for her  
response.  
  
"Boys." She returned the phone to its cradle. "You just don't understand them."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Tomoyo could not fall asleep that night. She twisted and turned until she ended up tangled in  
her beddings. That was when she decided to go, yet again, to the balcony. She called Spinel in  
the darkness. "Spinel?"   
  
The cat purred right under her and she practically jumped from surprise.   
  
"Spinel! Don't ever surprise me like that ever again." She waged her pointer sideways in a   
gesture Yamazaki would be proud of.  
  
"Meow," The feline merely looked at her with a blank stare.  
  
"Oh, never mind." She went to the balcony and sang. Sang at that time of night. Sang at that time  
of night to her cat.   
  
You live your life  
You live like an island  
Satisfied  
You live for the moment  
Here you come  
You make it look easy  
I bet you smile in your sleep  
Are you smiling at me...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Eriol couldn't sleep either. He stared blankly at the ceiling, waiting for it to envelope him in  
dreamless slumber. It had no effect on him. Frustrated, he stood up and took a glass of water  
from the refrigerator. It did little good. Then he heard a voice, the same voice from months  
ago. So he went to the balcony in an attempt to unveil the identity of the culprit.   
  
You live your life  
You live like an island  
Surrounded by  
Water and silence  
Mmm there you go  
You make it look easy  
I bet you laugh at yourself  
Are you laughing at me...  
  
Suddenly the song was called to a halt and he heard a regular voice. It was familiar...  
  
"Why are you looking at me like that? Am I singing about myself again?" The soft,  
feminine voice asked. There was no reply except for a faint meow.  
  
His eyes narrowed. Cats weren't allowed inside the building... He shrugged the thought out of  
his mind. He was probably delusional. He strained to see the face of the primadonna, still  
oblivious to the fact that the voice came from the balcony next door.   
  
'Cause sometimes anything goes  
When you're looking at me  
And sometimes everything goes  
When you're looking at me  
  
It was cloudy that night but at that exact moment the clouds parted and the maiden was revealed  
by the silver light of the moon.   
  
He had found her. She was right under his nose. Daidouji Tomoyo. He smiled and left the balcony.  
Yawning, he found the bed and was fast asleep. He wore a smile on his face.  
  
~~~Tsuzuku~~~  
  
Author's Notes: Okay...so I guess I might get flamed for making Tomoyo drunk. Well I foreshadowed  
it! But I am immune to flames so if you flame me I'll take it as a compliment. ^^; 


	6. First Date

"Complicated Life"  
By: Na-chan  
  
Disclaimer: CLAMP:CCS ; Na-chan:.... Get the analogy?  
Chapter 6: First Date  
  
Author's Notes: Yipee!!! Finally some mush! Oops...(covers mouth)Okay...that was a teensy spoiler  
wasn't it? Well if it psyches you up then good!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Seven O'clock Post Meridiem. 7:01. Ha! He's late! He isn't such a perfect guy after all. The   
girl though to herself, grinning. Her grin matched her outfit perfectly. A plain white blouse, a   
pair of khakis and strapless sandals completed her get-up.   
  
The door bell rang a millisecond later.  
  
She stood up from her sitting position on the couch. Peeping through the hole in the door to   
confirm her suspicions, she opened the oak door. Her breath caught momentarily but she ignored   
it. It was stupid to deny the fact that he was drop-dead gorgeous but she wasn't going to tell   
him that.  
  
Eriol stood there in all his glory wearing his charming smile. "Konbawa Daidouji-san," He greeted  
courteously.   
  
"Konbawa, Hiiragizawa-kun," She replied, forcing a smile.   
  
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Daidouji. You know better than to put up a front when you're with me." This   
earned him a glare from Tomoyo. "That's more like it."  
  
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Let's just get this over with."  
  
"As you wish, madam." He bowed, mocking her.  
  
She wanted to kick him but she restrained herself for the sake of decency. Instead she slammed   
the door in his face. Hah! Serves him right. I don't care if he tells the whole campus that I   
broke down in front of him of all people! I'd rather die than go out on one a friendly date with   
HIM!  
  
The phone rang.   
  
"Hello? Daidouji Tomoyo speaking," She snapped, irritated.  
  
"I see I'm stepping on hostile ground," her next-door neighbor and the boy she had just canceled  
her date with stated.  
  
She could almost picture him smirking. "Sorry but I think you have the wrong number. I don't  
know any rude, insensitive, obnoxious guys by the name of Hiiragizawa."  
  
"Ouch. That hurt Daidouji," He replied and she could swear she could almost see him grinning  
through the phone.  
  
"I'm sure it did. Goodbye." She slammed it down before she lost her eternal patience. He was  
getting on her nerves. No one ever penetrated her defenses that far. Time to bring in the heavy  
artillery...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The door bell rang. Twice. Eriol Hiiragizawa opened it and was amused to find that our   
amethyst-eyed protagonist was the one who rang. "Ara...Daidouji-san. I thought you stood me up."  
He smirked.  
  
"You know I would never do that, Eriol-kun." She batted her eyelashes sweetly at him.  
  
He was taken aback. Eriol-kun? She never calls me by my first name. What's going on? "Who are   
you and what have you done with my highly assiduous and adamant date?"  
  
She giggled. "Um...like that's a good joke Eriol. Now let's go. We don't want to waste any time,   
ne?"   
  
"Uh...sure. Let me get my keys." A look of uncertainty and hesitancy crossed his features before  
he rushed inside.  
  
The moment he was out of sight, she started laughing. She clutched her stomach to stop herself   
from rolling on the floor with laughter. 'He fell for it! He'll be putty in my hands when I get  
through with him...Men are so predictable. Hiiragizawa Eriol, sayonara!'  
  
He returned momentarily with the keys and she composed herself. "Let's go Daidouji."  
  
"Call me Tomoyo, Eriol-kun." It took all her will power to try and say that sentence without  
sounding sarcastic. She hurried to the elevator like a little child.  
  
"Yeah." He wasn't liking this new development. What happened to the Daidouji he knew? Who was   
this ala fan-girl clone? The other one was more anti-social to him and definitely more   
articulate.  
  
"Hurry up, Eriol-kun!" Obviously the Daidouji Tomoyo he knew had been replaced.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The sleek black Toyota Altis inched closer to its destination. Its speed gauge read 0 kph. Tokyo  
was well known for its automobile congestion on streets aka traffic.   
  
Eriol groaned behind the steering wheel.  
  
"What's wrong Eriol-kun?"  
  
He groaned again. "Nothing. Traffic's just getting on my nerves." He rubbed his temples in an  
attempt to subdue the growing headache he was currently suffering from.  
  
"You should have gotten used to it by now. You've been here for like half a year or something?"   
The girl in the passenger seat replied.  
  
Half a year eh? That long? I didn't notice at all...  
  
"I guess so..."  
  
"Really? Well I've been here for like, more than half a year and I'm still like not used to   
traffic too," Tomoyo stated, giggling.  
  
He winced. Her giggling and nauseatingly sweet voice was adding fuel to his migraine. Maybe  
taking her on a date wasn't such a brilliant idea...  
  
"Ne, Eriol-kun? Where are we going to anyway?"  
  
"I dunno." I want to go home.  
  
"Can we like, catch a movie or something?"  
  
"A movie sounds good. There's a suspense thriller showing at the mall."  
  
"Um, sur-I mean can I make a suggestion?" She covered up her mistake quickly. Phew. A good ol'  
suspense would do me some good but you're not here to enjoy yourself Daidouji. She excoriated   
herself silently. You're here to make him scared of the name Daidouji.  
  
"What's wrong?" Please don't say you want to watch a chick flick, He prayed silently.  
  
"I kinda wanted to see that movie starring Mandy Moore. You know, A Walk to Remember? I've  
been dying to see it all week," She aimed her most impeccable smile at him.   
  
He gulped. No, No, No and NO!!!! There was no way in heaven or in hell that he, Hiiragizawa  
Eriol was going to see a chick flick even if it was with a normal Tomoyo Daidouji.   
"Daidouji-san..." He started.  
  
"Dame! Tomoyo, Tomoyo." She waged her finger back and forth like she was teaching a child.   
  
"Alright. Tomoyo-san can we watch a..."  
  
"PLEASE!!! Pleez? I really, really want to see it." Just say YES! C'mon! I can't keep this up  
any longer! Her mind screamed. She finally used her best weapon. Big watery eyes.  
  
He tried to cover his eyes but to no avail. "Oh, alright."  
  
"Yay! Thank you, Eriol-kun!" She hugged him in a bear hug ala Nakuru. In truth, she was anything  
but happy. A feeling of dread crept on her spine. She shuddered.  
  
"You're welcome Tomoyo-san..." He managed to choke out.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The movie went smoothly. Smoothly to those who actually watched it. Tomoyo and Eriol ended up   
watching the couples around them making out. They left after enduring 30 minutes of pure mush.  
Or pure nausea.   
  
"I'm sorry Tomoyo-san. I couldn't take it anymore. It was either we joined them or we left. The  
former was definitely an option." He grinned mischievously.   
  
"Really, Eriol." Even if she sounded calm she wanted to shoot back a biting comment.  
  
He grinned wider. There it is! That's the same gleam in her eyes. The fiery spirit within. She  
was acting again.   
  
A voice interrupted Eriol's train of thought. "Daidouji? Hiiragizawa? Woooow...I didn't think  
you two were an item."  
  
"Stop embarrassing the lovebirds, Kazuma." A feminine voice scolded.   
  
"Tsubasa-chan. Ikeda-kun. I didn't know you two were here," Tomoyo greeted politely. She wore  
a smile to hide her dismay. Oh no! They might have started thinking up assumptions that there  
was something more between me and Hiiragizawa! She shivered involuntarily.  
  
"Are you cold, Tomoyo-san? You can borrow my jacket if you want to," Eriol offered.  
  
Tsubasa's eyes widened. "T-Tomoyo! You didn't tell me you too were this close!" She motioned  
her two pointer fingers together.   
  
"Yeah, Daidouji. You never let anyone call you Tomoyo unless it's a girl or if you're related.  
Don't tell me you're Hiiragizawa's long lost sister!" Kazuma burst out laughing.   
  
"When you think about it, you two do look alike. Pale faces, Dark hair..." His koibito joined  
in on his laughter.  
  
"Haha. Real funny, guys." Tomoyo rolled her eyes. She pulled Tsubasa aside, away from the   
hysterical Kazuma and the sweatdropping Eriol. Time for a little pep talk.  
  
"So are you two together? When did you become a couple? Yesterday?" Her friend bombarded her with  
a tirade of questions.  
  
"Let me set you straight, Tsubasa-chan. Hiiragizawa and I are not dating. Never did, never will."  
Tomoyo emphasized on the nevers.  
  
"Hmm. What do you call this then?"  
  
"This was a little rendezvous..."  
  
"You mean a date? Gosh, Tomoyo-chan. You didn't even tell lil ol' me? You're cruel. But I   
understand. You asked Daidouji-sama's approval of him yesterday right? How sweet! Of course she  
gave you her consent, right?"  
  
Tomoyo sighed. It was a lost cause to try and raze her colleague's impressions. "I did it to  
return a favor." She walked back towards Eriol. "Let's go Hiiragizawa-kun." She turned to leave.  
  
Eriol nodded and followed suit. "See you around guys."  
  
"Bye." The couple replied simultaneously.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
They strolled in silence. It wasn't the usual companionable silence between the two-no, it was  
an unfamiliar queer silence. It was uncomfortable and Eriol hated it.  
  
"So where do you want to go now?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Are you tired? Do you want to go home?" He asked. She was acting oddly since their run-in with  
Kazuma and Tsubasa. The bubbly personality was gone, now replaced by a gloomy one. My, this girl  
was like a storm. So unpredictable and moody.  
  
"Now that you mention it...I am a bit fatigued," She smiled tiredly. Though it was only around   
9:30, the day had drained Tomoyo of all her reserved energy. And besides, being double body for  
several personalities was extremely taxing.  
  
He eyed her with concern. "Shall I take you home then?" His voice was laced with worry.   
  
"Yes, please." She was in no mood for a verbal sparring match and it would ruin her new mask of  
melancholy even if it wasn't another facade. To her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The Altis parked itself outside the ten-story apartment building. Two dark-haired youths alighted  
from the said vehicle.   
  
"Good evening, Daidouji-san, Hiiragizawa-san." The bellhop greeted politely as they entered.  
  
"Good evening." Tomoyo replied.  
  
Eriol merely nodded.  
  
They walked to the elevator together. Silence still reigned between them. It was a brick wall   
that neither wanted to demolish anytime soon.   
  
He was the first to use a sledge hammer. They had reached their respective floor when he decided  
to speak up. He was a man after all. "We should do this again."  
  
"What? This little date idea?"  
  
"So you do admit it is. A date, I mean."  
  
She flushed and clenched her fists tightly. He was twisting her words again....  
  
He smirked at her reaction. There's the real Daidouji. "You know what? I missed you all through  
out this evening. Where'd you wander off to anyway?"  
  
She looked at him as if he was aberrant. I was here the whole time dimwit! "What ever are you  
talking about?"  
  
"I told you to not to act when you're in front of me," He took her hands and held them with his.  
"I'm not the audience and life surely isn't the play," He added while he stared into those deep  
purple depths. God, she was beautiful.  
  
She stared at his eyes as well. The intensity of their gaze was unnerving. Why was he doing this   
anyway? Why was she going along with it? And why was her heart beating so fast? This was   
Hiiragizawa, for pete's sake!  
  
"Um...Hiiragizawa-kun..."  
  
"Shh. Eriol. E-R-I-O-L."  
  
"E-Eriol-kun..." Why was she shaking? She shouldn't feel nervous at all!  
  
He noticed this and took advantage of it. "You like me this much eh?"  
  
Her eyes flared. She wanted to slap him. Playing with her feelings like that! "Don't flatter   
yourself." She tried to wiggle from his grasp. "Let me go."  
  
"Not before I tell you something." He leaned closer.  
  
Her breath caught.  
  
He placed a fleeting kiss on her lips. "Thank you." He whispered in her ear before he entered his  
apartment, leaving her alone in the corridor.  
  
She stood there by herself in silent contemplation. It was her first kiss. "You're welcome..."   
She whispered at the closed door in front of her.  
  
At the other side of the door, the boy smiled.   
  
~~~Tsuzuku~~~  
  
Author's Notes: Finally! This chapter took longer than I expected. The idea was there but the   
words just wouldn't come. Please R&R!! ^_^ Muchos gracias! 


	7. Uncertainties

"Complicated Life"  
By: Na-chan  
  
Disclaimer: CCS is not mine, never was, never will be. The song "Before I fall in love" is not  
mine and so is "Complicated". The first song is by Coco Lee and the latter is Avril   
Lavigne's.   
  
Chapter 7: Uncertainties  
  
Author's Notes: Gomen for taking super duper loooooong to update.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Confused. Irritated. Such adjectives described Tomoyo's mood. It had been a week since that  
weekend rendezvous with Eriol and he had been avoiding her. Purposely. Why? There were more than  
a hundred reasons she could conjure up with.   
  
"Tomoyo-chan? Is something wrong? You look a bit out of it today."  
  
She snapped out of her reverie and faced Tsubasa. "Couldn't sleep yesterday."  
  
"Ohhh. Still thinking about him, right?" Tsubasa teased.   
  
"N-No. It's nothing like that!" Her friend replied. She should've known Tsubasa wouldn't give   
that topic a rest.   
  
"If you say so Tomoyo-san."  
  
"Really! There is nothing going on between me and Hiiragizawa."  
  
"It's Hiiragizawa again, huh? I thought you called him, Eriol-kun?"  
  
"Oh, pleez. Let's just change the topic, okay? It's giving me a headache." Tomoyo rubbed her   
temples in a circular manner.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Yo! Tsubasa! Daidouji! Wait up," Kazuma called from the other end of the hallway. When he caught  
up with them, he kissed Tsubasa on the cheek and flashed Tomoyo a smile.  
  
"How was class?" His girlfriend asked casually.  
  
"As usual, boring."  
  
"Why'd you choose that class anyway? You could've went with me and Tomoyo-san," She scolded   
lightly.  
  
He shrugged. "It looked interesting."  
  
"Looks can be deceiving."  
  
Tomoyo sighed. Lovers' quarrel. Better steer clear out of this one. "Umm...guys? Will you excuse  
me for a moment? I forgot to research something in the library."  
  
"I'll go with you, Daidouji."  
  
"No! I mean, no thank you. You guys continue your little chat." She walked away from the couple.  
  
"What's wrong with her?" He asked, dumbfounded.  
  
"Hiiragizawa?"  
  
"Probably. They seem to be repelling each other like opposite sides of a magnet."  
  
"I thought that was normal but...Tomoyo-chan has been acting strangely this past week. Ever since  
we bumped into them at the mall..." Tsubasa's voice trailed off.  
  
"You do have a point. Do you think they fought?"  
  
"No, I don't think so. Maybe you should talk to Hiiragizawa-san."  
  
"Sure. And you have a little tete-a-tete with Daidouji."  
  
She smiled. "Count on it!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Tomoyo sighed. One of the many signs showing lack of interest. That was exactly what she was   
feeling--bored. Bored as she stared blankly at the ceiling of her bedroom. This was the perfect  
time to strain her brain thinking of all the possible answers to the numerous enigmas of the   
world and yet she restrained herself from doing so. She preferred keeping her mind blank rather   
than thinking of...him.   
  
"Aaarg! Why am I thinking about him anyway? I shouldn't stop my life just for him. He's even  
avoiding me..." She whacked her head with a pillow. At times like these she would open the radio  
and listen to her favorite songs while singing along with them. That's exactly what she did.  
  
She came across an old favorite of hers.  
  
My heart says we've got something real  
  
Can I trust the way I feel  
  
Cause my heart's been through it before   
  
Am I'm just seeing what I want to see  
  
Or is it true  
  
Could you really be...  
  
She remembered being back in Tomoeda with her mother. She was so young then...so innocent. Her  
emotions were all so understandable back then. Why did he have to complicate things?  
  
She changed the station quickly before it dug up too much memories. Another song caught her   
attention.  
  
Why you have to go and make things so complicated?  
  
I see the way you're acting like you're somebody else gets me frustrated  
  
Life's like this you  
  
And you fall and you crawl and you break  
  
And you take what you get and you turn it into honesty  
  
And promise me I'm never gonna find you fake it...no no no...  
  
A sigh escaped her pursued lips. Why? Why today? Why of all the possible days to switch on the   
radio did the stations choose to play songs that she could relate to so well?  
  
Ding-dong!  
  
"Tomoyo-chan! Are you there?"  
  
She recognized the voice over the music. "Coming." She wasn't surprised to find Tsubasa behind  
the door, smiling brightly.   
  
"Konnichiwa Tsubasa-chan. What brings you to my humble abode?"   
  
"Does a friend need to have a reason to visit?"  
  
Tomoyo thought for a moment before replying, "No!" and pulling the shorter girl inside.   
  
"Are you having problems with Kazuma? Or is it with your mother? Tell me all the details." She   
asked as to let Tsubasa forget her true purpose of coming which probably included the   
raven-haired girl's love life.   
  
"Everything's fine with me and Kazuma. That goes with Okaasan too."  
  
"Hmm...Oh how rude of me! Please sit. Do you want anything? Water, cookies, junk food?"  
  
All her questions were answered with negative gestures. "No thanks, Tomoyo-chan. I just ate. I  
just came over to talk..."  
  
The host's ears perked up at the word 'talk'. Talk? What did she do this time? The last time she  
and Tsubasa had a little girl talk was when the latter had fought with Kazuma.  
  
"About what, Tsubasa-chan?"  
  
"You've been acting a little...off lately. I'm worried about you. Kazuma is too." Tsubasa began  
her little speech. "Is something wrong?"  
  
Tomoyo was distracted by Spinel coming into the room. "Yes...I mean NO! Everything's absolutely   
dandy, ne Spinel?" She picked up the feline to cover up her mistake.  
  
"So this is Spinel. Such a cute little kuroneko."  
  
"Yeah. He's one smart cat. I even think he understands us!"  
  
"Never underestimate the power of a mammal. Heck, some people even have smaller brains than  
dolphins!" The girl chuckled before her tone grew serious.   
  
"Is this about Hiiragizawa? Did he do anything to you? If he did I will personally see his   
sorry little arse shipped back to England complete with enough bruises to last him a lifetime."  
  
"........"  
  
"He didn't do anything eh? Then what?"  
  
"He k-kissed me." There she had said it.  
  
"Honto ni!? Wow...I had no idea Tomoyo-chan! So are you two going steady?"  
  
"No. Actually he's been avoiding me."  
  
Tsubasa's brow furrowed. "What! Why? I thought he liked you..."  
  
"Or maybe he was just playing with me. I don't know what to do anymore. Maybe I'll just forget  
about him and live my life like before." Tomoyo smiled slightly. She directed all her attention  
to Spinel and stroking his fur.  
  
"Tomoyo-chan..."  
  
"It's alright with me. There are numerous jerks like him in the world. All the good ones are just  
taken or just..."  
  
"Gay?" Both of them burst out laughing.  
  
"Yeah...gay." Tomoyo said, smiling brightly. If her love life was a mess, at least she had her  
friends.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
6 meters of concrete away...  
  
The telephone was ringing and Eriol made no move to pick it up. After the third ring, the   
answering machine played its recording.   
  
"Hi. I'm not here or anywhere near this vicinity. Leave a message after the beep. Beep.."  
  
Ikegami Kazuma's voice rang clear through the recording. "Hiiragizawa, Daidouji's acting strange  
this past week. If you have anything to do with it..."  
  
Eriol pulled the cord from the outlet. "Sorry, Ikegami. I don't want to talk about it."  
  
A voice startled him from behind. "Oh really? If you're planning on leaving me hanging, be my  
guest but don't keep avoiding Daidouji. I don't like seeing her upset even though she manages to   
conceal it well."  
  
"Ikegami..." Eriol turned to face the blonde.  
  
Kazuma's aquamarine eyes were filled with concern and anger. Concern for Tomoyo and anger for the  
young man in front of him. "Do you feel anything for her Hiiragizawa?"  
  
Eriol lowered his eyes until his bangs covered them. "Yes..."  
  
"Then why are you here moping instead of being at her doorstep begging for forgiveness? And don't  
give that line 'I don't beg, I intimidate'." Even though the blonde looked serious when he said   
this, his eyes softened.   
  
"............"  
  
"Speechless eh? Do you want me to help you get on her good side? I can arrange that, you know,"  
His gaze drifted on the cat dish on the floor. Neatly printed in cursive writing was the name   
Spinel Sun. "You have pets in your apartment?"  
  
"Used to. My cat's been gone since the end of the first semester. Probably ran away."  
  
"Oh. Sorry for barging in. The door was unlocked and I needed to straighten things out before  
Tsubasa drove me insane with her suspicions."  
  
"No harm done."  
  
"...So are you going to tell her?"  
  
Eriol was silent. "I'm not sure."  
  
"Well just don't take too long to think about it. Daidouji doesn't like waiting even though she  
tries not to show it. She's such an introvert, that girl."  
  
"Her? An introvert? I think not..." He grinned. "Thanks."  
  
"No problem. If it's knocking sense into someone, I'm the man for the job. Now do you know  
where she lives? I have to pick up Tsubasa from there."  
  
"She lives next door..."  
  
"I see...NEXT DOOR!? You mean...never mind. See you around."  
  
"Yeah." And with that fleeting goodbye, Eriol neared another closing in one chapter of his life.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The room was pitch-black and the only source of luminescence was a small lighted candle. Two   
figures huddled over the glowing piece of wax. The taller one spoke up.  
  
"What's with the dark setting? You'd think we were in a cult of some sort."  
  
"Shh! Keep it down. Someone may hear us," The shorter one hissed.   
  
From the lack of light, you couldn't see the former's eyes narrow. "Could we at least open the  
lights? You're being too paranoid Tsubasa."  
  
"Oh, alright." With a flick of the switch the room was flooded with light. "Happy now?"  
  
"Much better. Now, let's get down to business. What did you learn at Daidouji's?"  
  
"Hmm...Where should I start? Ah. She's pretty upset."  
  
"Other than that?"  
  
"He kissed her," Tsubasa paused. "And she's confused of what to do next."  
  
"The same goes for him. I can't figure out what to do with this two. Is that all you found out?  
Does Daidouji like him?" Kazuma asked.  
  
"Let's see...Yep, she feels something for him," She looked up from her notebook which was filled  
with notes she had transcribed from the tape recorder she had hidden in her pocket while talking  
to Tomoyo.  
  
"He likes her too."  
  
"And?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"They're a hopeless case," He concluded.  
  
"I agree. Tomoyo-chan needs our help though. She can't keep herself busy with her  
studies or Spinel 24/7."  
  
"Wait. Did you just say Spinel? By any chance is that Spinel a cat?"  
  
"Yeah. She found him in her bedroom a few months ago and decided to keep him. Why?" She looked  
at her boyfriend, not understanding where this topic was going.  
  
He grinned mischievously. "Well, it just so happens Hiiragizawa lost his feline a few months ago.  
A cat by the name of Spinel Sun. Names like that don't go unnoticed..."  
  
She shared his smile. Bingo. "We'll make great matchmakers yet."  
  
~~~Tsuzuku~~~  
  
Author's Notes: What are those two up to? Poor Tomoyo and Eriol. Okay, rephrase that. Poor   
Spinel! How'd he get into this mess!? ^__^ Find out next chapter! R & R! 


	8. The Spinel Conspiracy

Complicated Life   
by: Na-chan  
  
Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is owned by CLAMP. Duh!  
  
Chapter 8: The Spinel Conspiracy  
  
Author's Notes: This is the second to the last chapter, people! Or maybe the last. I don't know  
for sure. I refer to Spinel as 'it' sometimes since that's the pronoun for animals but I also   
address Spinel as a 'he'. I don't know but please don't get confused.   
  
Dedication: This is for all those who reviewed (and those who just read it)! Thanks for taking  
the time to read this lil' fic of mine.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The operation was set. Tsubasa and Kazuma had schemed for exactly 3 days, 9 hours and 34 minutes  
before the plan was perfected. Now, the only problem where Eriol and Tomoyo and the correct   
execution. Mistakes were not tolerated in this game.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Spinel. Spinel!" Tomoyo called, waiting for the cat to come out of its hiding place and grace   
its master with its presence. She was standing inside her apartment, fresh from the hard day at  
school. Now she wanted to see at least one carefree face.  
  
No such luck. The feline was nowhere in sight. The bowl of milk the girl had set on the floor was  
still full from earlier.   
  
She shrugged the matter off. Spinel was probably taking a nap on her bed-she'd have to reprimand  
it again. Dropping her bag on the marble floor, she headed for her room only to find out that   
Spinel wasn't there. 'Strange. He usually lies down here when I come home...' She thought,  
anxiety creeping down her spine. That's when she spotted a medium sized envelope on top of her  
drawer. A look of sheer curiosity and worry passed her face. I don't remember that being there   
this morning...  
  
Reaching for the envelope, she peeled the flap open and pulled out a piece of bond paper.   
The words were formed from letters from assorted magazines. She skimmed the letter quickly and  
dropped it immediately like it was a bomb ready to explode.  
  
The letter read,  
  
DeAR DaIdoujI TOMoyo,   
  
We Have YOUr PrecIoUs CaT iN oUr CusToDy. IF YoU evEr wAnT to GliMPse At iT agAin FoLLow  
OuR inStruCtioNs With Extreme PREcisioN. WE DeManD 5ooo Yen froM yOU In ExcHange fOr The fEline.  
DrOP The MoNEy oFF at ThE TOKYO TOWER's ObSerVatIon Deck NEar The JAnitor's CLoset Around 7:oo Pm  
TOMOrrow. No CallINg THe AuThoritiEs or wE wIll nOt hEsitAte to InfLict Harm On Your Pet.  
  
SiNcERELy,  
ANONYMOUS  
  
Tomoyo looked 50% scared to death, 23% confused, 16% irritated and 1% curious. Scared for Spinel  
and her safety considering the catnapper had been able to break into her humble abode without her  
knowledge, confused on what to do next, irritated on the fact that the catnapper had been able   
to decipher her confusing lock on her door and curious on the reason why the criminal had only  
asked for a small amount of cash and why he could be so articulate considering he was a pilferer.  
  
But she knew one thing. She had to get Spinel back. One way or another.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Two hours later, Eriol reached his apartment. Tired and drowsy, he walked over to the coach to  
try and relax only to slip on a piece of paper carelessly lying on the floor. Luckily, he caught  
himself and saved himself a lot of embarrassment from his ego.   
  
"What's this doing scattered on the floor? I just cleaned this place yesterday." Bending down to  
pick up the piece of dead tree bark, he read the contents hastily. It was an almost identical   
letter to Tomoyo's with the exception that the heading contained his name instead of the girl's  
and there was a mention of his losing the cat a few months earlier.  
  
It read,  
  
DeAr HIirAgIzAwa ErIol,  
  
We Have YOUr PrecIoUs CaT iN oUr CusToDy SinCe YOu CArELessLy LoSt It. IF YoU evEr wAnT   
to GliMPse At iT agAin FoLLow OuR inStruCtioNs With Extreme PREcisioN. WE DeManD 5ooo Yen froM   
yOU In ExcHange fOr The fEline. DrOP The MoNEy oFF at ThE TOKYO TOWER's ObServAtIon DeCk nEaR the  
JaNiToR's ClOset Around 7:oo Pm TOMOrrow. No CallINg THe AuThoritiEs or wE wIll nOt hEsitAte to   
inFliCt Harm On Your Pet.  
  
SiNcERELy,  
ANONYMOUS  
  
"Damn," He whispered under his breath. This was the last thing he needed. A guilt consuming   
threat from a catnapper. As if he didn't have enough problems already.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The magnificent sunset view from the acclaimed Tokyo tower attracted many tourists and locals the  
world over. The view, however, wasn't Tomoyo's reason for being at the venue. The girl eyed her   
watch self-consciously. It was only 6:58 according to her custom-made Rolex. How long had she   
been there? She scanned the crowd for a suspicious looking character. She found half a dozen   
which was basically everyone in the observation deck. Two men who were in black suits who looked   
like international spies, a burly man who was crying his heart out, a priest, a young teenager   
and to her surprise (or disdain), Hiiragizawa Eriol.   
  
Eriol has spotted her earlier and was trying his best not to approach her for a little   
socializing.   
  
Luckily, she looked like she had no intention of doing so. She crossed her arms across her chest.  
'Great, now he thinks I'm stalking him.' She thought, a vein popping on her head as she felt his  
intense gaze on her.   
  
He smiled half-heartedly at the sight of her like that. Kami-sama, he missed her. He was about  
to walk over to her when the alarm he placed on his watch went off. It was 7:00. Showtime.   
Instead of making his way to her, he went towards the opposite direction to the janitor's closet.  
It was not hard to spot since it was labeled properly for those who mistook unnamed doors for the  
lavatory. There was a man wearing a pair of dark tinted glasses and a trenchcoat blocking his   
way.  
  
She wasn't looking at him when he left. She didn't even notice him go since she was tracing the  
face of her watch with ennui in her eyes. She was also silently chanting an impromptu mantra she   
had just made. 'Don't come any closer. Leave now. Don't come any closer. Leave. Don't come  
any closer. Leave.' When she turned around to see if it worked, she was relieved to find him  
walking away. That was when she remembered her sole purpose for being in the tower. Hurrying  
towards the same direction, she found herself stopping 3 meters away from Eriol who had halted.  
  
"Did you bring the dough?" the man asked in a fraudulent voice.  
  
"Where's Spinel?" Eriol answered with another question, the tone in his voice semi-amused.   
  
Her eyes grew wide. He knew Spinel. And she thought he thought she was a stalker when he was the  
one who knew all about this rendezvous.  
  
"He's in the there," The catnapper bluffed while starting to open the door of the closet.  
  
"I don't see him-"  
  
But the criminal didn't let him finish and shoved the unwilling lad into the closet. Though Eriol  
was a good lot taller than the man, the latter was stronger. He slammed the door shut and turned  
his attention to Tomoyo.  
  
She panicked and tried to make a break for it but the two men she saw earlier who reminded her of  
spies blocked her exit.   
  
"I'm sorry miss but we can't let you go." One of the men spoke up and nodded to the one behind   
her. That man heaved her up and slung her on his back like a rag doll.  
  
"Put me down this instant!" She felt scandalized at that moment. Her mother won't be pleased to   
learn about this.  
  
They didn't listen to her, obviously. Instead, the trenchcoat guy opened the door of the closet  
and the spy look alike shoved her inside hastily and she fell on Eriol. A click followed shortly  
from the other side of the entrance.  
  
She groaned. This was just perfect. She was locked in a room smaller than her bathroom with HIM.   
  
Eriol was surprised to say the least to see the girl. "What are you doing here?" He asked as she  
stood up.   
  
"None of your business."  
  
He smirked despite the situation they were in. It could have been worse actually. He could have  
been held at gunpoint and shot. "Hmm. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. You tell me."  
  
She opened her mouth to retort but shut it again in frustration. She then turned her attention  
to the door and kicked it. Repeatedly.   
  
"It's useless, you know."  
  
"I know. But it keeps me frenetic."  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Why is that?"  
  
"I have to have an outlet for all my ill feelings for you instead of taking it out on someone,"   
She gave him a look that plainly stated that she didn't care if he committed suicide in front of  
her.  
  
He sighed in defeat and raised both his hands up in peace. "I get the picture. But can you keep  
it down? It's irritating."  
  
She felt as though a vein popped near her brain. 'The second time today. My, I think the   
hospital will be seeing me soon. If I ever get out of here.'  
  
"We'll get out of this place," He said out of the blue, ruining Tomoyo's train of thought.  
  
"H-How did you..? You can read minds, can't you! I knew it! Now I'm stuck with a jerk who is  
psychic and isn't letting me have my own space in a cramped janitor's closet in the Tokyo Tower.  
Wait until Tsubasa hears this one." She was sarcastic but Eriol could make out the distinct   
panic in her voice.  
  
"Calm down, Daidouji-san. We'll get out of here...I promise." He patted her on the back   
reassuringly.  
  
She looked at him in disbelief. Hiiragizawa Eriol was comforting her...again. Why did she always  
have to start breaking down in front of him? Maybe this time she owed him enough not to make a   
snide remark. Maybe. The least she could do was keep her tongue at bay. And she did.  
  
"Your silence is getting too eerie." He noted, sitting on the concrete floor. He beckoned her to  
sit next to him but she promptly declined.   
  
"I'm not sure if I can trust you enough to sit next to me. The last time we were this close, you  
took advantage of the moment and kissed me."  
  
He bent his head low at that. "Gomen. I lost my self-control back then."  
  
"I could easily forget that event and think of it as nothing like just one of those impulses men  
get when they're around attractive women but..."  
  
"But what?"  
  
"I didn't want to. It was my first kiss after all. Okaasan was very strict when it came to boys.   
She only agreed for me to go on dates with her colleagues' sons and had me followed by   
bodyguards. All those who tried to kiss me ended up with more than bloody noses." She cringed at  
the memory.  
  
"Well I hope we were followed and I got beaten. What I did was unforgivable...I didn't even have  
the courage to face you after that," He confessed.  
  
She smiled faintly at the thought. "No, I guess it was also my fault. I didn't scour the campus   
for an explanation."  
  
He chuckled. "Then we're even."  
  
"You could say that. But I'm still not sitting next to you."  
  
He groaned. "I knew it."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The closet wasn't as minute as Tomoyo thought it was at a first glance. After several observant  
stares, however, she found out it was quite spacious. There were several cabinets attached to the  
wall, a chair, a broom closet and enough space between her and Eriol. The floor wasn't too filthy  
either. It was as if the place was FIXED just for this.  
  
"Penny for your thoughts?" Eriol asked from across her.  
  
"...It's strange."  
  
"What's strange?"  
  
"This whole set-up. The closet is so tidy, the ransom note, the people...us both knowing Spinel."  
  
He cracked up a smile. "That is so like you to think up a reason for everything that's happening  
to us."  
  
"And it's so like you to try and make fun of my presumptions," She retorted, blushing at his   
earlier comment. "By the way, how did you know about Spinel?"  
  
"Are you sure we're talking about the same Spinel here? I mean there are a lot of Spinels in the  
whole planet," He reasoned.  
  
"The Spinel I'm talking about happens to be a Bombay cat."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "I own a Spinel with the description."  
  
"You! You own Spinel Sun! I can't believe that the owner was right under my nose. I could've  
just handed him over to you."  
  
"Do you mean to say that you had him all this time? Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"I didn't know. Now we both don't have him...Poor little guy."  
  
"Let's think positive. Maybe he's curled on a couch and watching television or something," He  
suggested.  
  
"Yeah right."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Several miles away, in Kazuma's house, on the couch, Spinel sneezed (can cats sneeze?).   
  
Beside the feline was Kazuma watching television. "What's wrong with you Spinel? Don't tell me  
cats catch colds. Daidouji and Hiiragizawa will have my head for this."  
  
"Meow."  
  
~~~Tsuzuku~~~  
Bwahahahaha! Finally, I finished it! Took more than a month of slacking but finally! Drop reviews  
for the last chapter to take shape! Mwahahahaha! 


	9. The End of the Beginning

Complicated Life  
By: Na-chan  
  
Disclaimer: Do I have to say this again? IDONOTOWNCCSITSCOPYRIGHTEDBYCLAMP. Got that? Good. And I  
don't own the song "Tomorrow Morning." Someone else does.  
  
Chapter 9: The end of the beginning  
  
Author's Notes: Confusing title! Wahhh!!! Took me awhile to get this out. Finally my late fic has  
come to an end. Thank you to all those who reviewed!!! I am forever indebted to you...I think.   
This fic has been discombobulating from the start. I hope you didn't get lost somewhere in  
between. ^___^ Enjoy!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The last of the tourists exited the Tokyo Tower. Some of them sported dissatisfied looks while   
others grumbled about the sudden notice of inconvenience. This disappointment was due to the   
fact that it was only 7:30 and the upper observation deck was already closed. If this was another   
ordinary day it would have been still open until 9:00. The staff, however, found this day to be   
distinct from the rest. Especially since they were constantly bothered by the occasional pounds  
and sporadic screams coming from the janitor's closet found at the upper observation deck. Eager  
as they were to scout out the source of this unpleasant noise, the staff head had informed them   
to leave the matter be and simply close the said observation deck. And this order they followed  
docilely. They knew very well that it was useless to go against the boss.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Inside the certain object of curiosity....  
  
Tick tock tick tock.  
  
"Aarg! I can't take this anymore. I want to get out of here," Tomoyo Daidouji was not placid. Who  
would be after being trapped inside a small room for 30 minutes?  
  
"You might lose your voice if you keep yelling like that."  
  
She turned to the one who had spoken. "I can't see why you're so calm, Hiiragizawa."  
  
Eriol looked amused. "Those who panic are those who lose."  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "Nobody said this was a competition."  
  
"It was just some words of wisdom to soothe your negative aura."  
  
"Thank you for being so thoughtful," She replied, sarcastic.  
  
"You're always welcome, Daidouji-san."  
  
The room grew silent.  
  
It was Tomoyo who spoke first. "So...do you think we'll starve here? They could find us in maybe  
days or weeks..." She shuddered at a mental image of her being nothing but bones.  
  
He, on the other hand, took the matter lightly. "Nothing to worry about. With the noise you've  
created, the whole Japan would be looking for the source of disturbance."  
  
"Haha."  
  
"But I'm not complaining. It's better than your silence. Though it is annoying after awhile," He  
smiled in an attempt to try and keep the conversation going.  
  
"........"  
  
"I'd prefer it if you sang instead."  
  
Her eyes gave away her concealed surprise. "I don't sing."  
  
"Really? I was 100% sure I heard your soprano voice a few days ago by the balcony."  
  
She blushed. "I don't sing for an audience."  
  
"I'm not one to beg Daidouji-san but since it's very difficult to persuade you..." He inched   
closer. "I happen to be informed on your weak points."  
  
"Are you sure? Well I'm all for spraying you with some pepper spray if you try something."  
  
He tried to look hurt at that statement. "I guess that means I can't tickle you until you yield  
for mercy."  
  
"Exactly." Then after a moment, "All right. I'll sing for you. Just one song, okay?"   
  
He nodded.   
  
She started off humming a tune then..   
  
Lonely, lost every part of me  
maybe, outstayed my company  
walking in to sad scenes  
hold me tight and say goodbye  
I've seen, behind tomorrow's sky  
you be, my missing alibi  
bone me over backwards  
turn around and change my mind  
  
Cause I've been thinking  
about our world tonight  
slowly sinking into my appetite  
tomorrow morning  
are you a friend of mine  
  
She stopped singing in the middle of the song. Even though Eriol did not recognize the song, he  
felt like it was hanging in some sort of way. "Please continue."  
  
"I don't remember the lyrics," She lied.  
  
Luckily, he did not press the matter. "Thank you, Tomoyo-san. I'm speechless."  
  
"You're welcome, Eriol."  
  
He smiled. They were finally on a first name basis. Then his stomach let out a groan. He turned   
beet red.  
  
She laughed. "I guess you're hungry. C'mon maybe there's food in one of these cabinets."  
  
A moment later...  
  
"Look, there's a present in one of the cabinets," Eriol remarked. He scanned the wrapped article  
carefully when a card fell from it.  
  
Tomoyo picked it up and read it out loud. "To Tsubasa, Happy anniversary. Love, Kazuma."  
  
To summarize the events that occurred after the discovery, Eriol and Tomoyo were not happy   
campers.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Moshi, moshi. Shinobiki residence," Tsubasa greeted the other line.  
  
"Tsubasa, it's me."  
  
"I knew it was you. So how's it going with Spinel?"  
  
"The cat's well-behaved," Kazuma replied. "But that's not the problem," He added.  
  
"What is?" She was starting to get worried.   
  
He paused. "I don't know how to say this..."  
  
"The truth shall set you free."  
  
He winced at the impatient tone in her voice. "You see... I bought your anniversary present   
yesterday."  
  
"And?" She had no idea why this would be a source of trouble. It was actually good that he   
remembered that they would be dating for 6 months already.  
  
"While we were fixing the janitor's closet, I accidentally left it there."  
  
"What!? Did it have a card?" Dread rang clear through her voice.  
  
He nodded through the phone. "Yeah."  
  
"This is bad. This is really, really bad."  
  
"I know."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Morning seemed to be taking the scenic route since it took forever before the first rays of dawn  
seeped into the glass interior of the Tokyo tower. Our locked couple, however, was not informed  
of the transition from night to day. Both were still asleep after dreaming up revenge schemes   
until midnight. It was Eriol who woke up first.  
  
His first instinct was to check the time. 7:02. Too early to get up. He was about to close his  
eyes when he felt something warm leaning on his shoulder. Tomoyo. Last night had taken its toll  
on her. She had fallen asleep beside him after laughing too hard because of one of his stories.   
Not having the heart to wake her, he hadn't moved from the spot where he had been seated. And it   
was worth it, seeing her like this, a serene smile on her lips. A strand of hair had intruded   
onto her pale face and he pushed it into place. He closed his eyes and tried to savor the moment.  
Who knows when he'll ever be able to be this close to her again?  
  
"I guess this is one of the highlights of an early bird."  
  
Eriol's eyes snapped open at the girl's voice. "Good morning, Tomoyo-san."   
  
"Good morning," She greeted back and rubbed her temple.  
  
"Sleep well last night?" He queried, noticing her attempts to calm a forming headache.  
  
"Not exactly."  
  
"Me too."  
  
"I'm going to kill Tsubasa and Kazuma when I get out of here."  
  
He grinned. "I had no idea you were a morning person, Tomoyo-san."  
  
"I'm not."  
  
His grin widened. "I'm not a morning person either."  
  
She raised an eyebrow as if to ask, "Then why are you so cheery this early?".   
  
"...I guess since I'm with you."  
  
She blushed lightly. "I'm immune to your sweet talk."  
  
"It doesn't hurt to try."  
  
She narrowed her eyes, still pink. "Fine." Then she added, "Then I'll try to open the door   
again." Walking over to the harassed looking door (due to Tomoyo's pounding the night before),   
she yanked it open, a half of her willing it open and the other half, praying it would not. How  
the other half had come to exist, she did not know.  
  
Miraculously, it did. Open that is.  
  
Both parties locked in the forsaken closet couldn't have been happier.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was still dark when the couple had been freed of their prison. The tower was already open   
though, so they were able to leave the historical location for a ride in Eriol's car. How they  
were able to contain their vengeful spirits from storming their friends' homes, we'll never know.  
  
All know that the Altis sped through the streets at 60 kph, its direction, home. The two   
passengers were engaged in a conversation.  
  
"Are you as famished as me?" The driver asked.  
  
"Yep. They could've have at least left some chips in one of the cabinets," Tomoyo complained.  
  
He smirked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's nothing."  
  
"Tell me."  
  
"Last night was fun. More than our date. I got to know a lot about you."  
  
"Is that your definition of fun?" She laughed.  
  
He sighed. "You wouldn't understand."  
  
"Try me."  
  
A pregnant pause.  
  
"I like you, Tomoyo-san."  
  
Her eyes widened slightly. Eriol? Likes me? No way.   
  
"I'm sorry if I've been a jerk sometimes. Whenever I'm with you...it's a weird feeling."  
  
Maybe, just maybe, she could let him know her, the real her. She smiled. "Yeah, me too. But I'm  
still unsure."  
  
He stopped the car. "Really?" His eyes suddenly brightened at the first statement.  
  
"Yep, hence the Tomorrow Morning song," she admitted, blushing slightly.  
  
"You never finished it."  
  
She hesitated. "Do you want to hear the other part?"  
  
"Of course. You're voice is heavenly. I'm not kidding."  
  
"Oh, all right."  
  
I swear, you've left me open  
Nowhere, to hide this moment  
Overcrowded daydreams  
We're lost or so it seems  
  
"Now it feels complete."  
  
"Uh..."  
  
"What's wrong Tomoyo?"  
  
Beep! Beep! Beep!  
  
"Oh, sorry! I forgot," He grinned sheepishly and gunned the engine. Sheesh, every time she smiles  
I act so featherheaded.  
  
"So, Hiiragizawa Eriol is a sucker for pretty girls like me."  
  
"And Daidouji Tomoyo is a sucker for gorgeous guys...like me."  
  
"Don't bet on it," She pushed him playfully.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was a new beginning for the both of them, Eriol and Tomoyo. It was like a baby being born or  
a flower blooming. It could be likened to the rising sun and contrasted to the setting star. But  
enough of the comparisons. It's time for our ending scene.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Well, we're here."  
  
"Yeah. Walk me to my next class?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
It was a completely ordinary conversation between two people in the eyes of many. But to the eyes  
of their close friends, Tsubasa and Kazuma, this was nothing but monumental.   
  
"Oh my gosh! Our plan really did work," Tsubasa exclaimed as she eavesdropped on her bestfriend's  
idle talk.   
  
Kazuma raised an cynical eyebrow. "Really? Maybe they're just faking it," Then, "What!? Is that  
Daidouji holding hands with Hiiragizawa? Are my eyes deceiving me?"  
  
She pinched him.   
  
"Oww! What was that for?"  
  
"See? You're awake. And keep it down. We don't want them to find us."   
  
"I know what you mean," He said as he rubbed his head where Tomoyo had bonked him earlier with an  
extremely thick Physics book.   
  
"Shh. They're coming this way."  
  
The couple was indeed coming their way but they were taking their time.   
  
"Can they walk any slower?"  
  
"Maybe. Duck."  
  
The two spies hid behind a corner, shielded from view. By doing this they missed Tomoyo giving  
Eriol a kiss on the cheek. When they rebounded, they only caught a fleeting glimpse of the said  
act.  
  
"How could I miss that!?"  
  
"It's not your fault. I didn't see it either."  
  
"B-But!"  
  
"No buts Tsubasa. Hurry up, we still have class."  
  
"Oh, okay."  
  
It truly was the end of the beginning.  
  
~~Not yet the end!  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, this will be continued but three years have passed. R&R! 


	10. Aftermath

"Complicated Life"  
By: Na-chan  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own CCS and the other stuff in this fic. They belong to their respective   
owners.  
  
Author's Notes: This will be the LAST chapter. Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 10: The Aftermath   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Three years later...  
  
It was cold. Winter in Japan came swiftly without warning--just a few days ago leaves where still  
falling from the trees. Snow covered the streets like icing on a cake. They fell in multitudes   
and Tomoyo wouldn't have them any other way. She admired them in a child-like manner and tried to  
catch some with her hands. Her boyfriend laughed at her antics.  
  
"No one would have guessed you're the top student of Tokyo University," He laughed.  
  
She blushed at the statement and stuck her tongue out at him. "You're just jealous, Eriol-kun."  
  
Eriol chuckled. "Not exactly..." He adjusted his glasses and looked at her with a mischievous   
glint in the eye. "Besides, we still have another semester until we graduate. I can still beat  
you then."  
  
"Yeah right." There was no suspicion in her eyes, no malice, just plain sincerity.  
  
He winced.  
  
"So are you really going to go into business?" The couple continued walking down the street,   
window-shopping as they went.  
  
"I'm not sure. It's hard to choose," She answered in an exasperated tone. She was full of this   
post-graduate talk. Why can't somebody just choose for me? Are they even sure I can finish my  
studies?  
  
She groaned.  
  
"Something bothering you?" He asked, concerned. He knew all about her uncertainties but he always  
preferred to hear it coming from her.  
  
"I hate having to graduate and going to business school! Or med school. Or even taking up law,"  
Frustration was evident in her voice.  
  
He laughed at her predicament, ignoring the stares they were getting from bystanders. "Maybe you  
should have a talk with Daidouji-sama?"  
  
"Maybe. During Christmas break..." She looked pensive at the idea.  
  
He managed a small smile. "Daidouji-sama would be thrilled that you thought of asking her."  
  
She smiled too. "Okay. But only if you come visit with me." Her mother liked Eriol very much. It  
was probably his politeness and his honesty when the topic was about Tomoyo.  
  
He shook his head. "I can't. My parents are coming over to visit." In his mind, he was torn   
between seeing his parents and being with his girlfriend. But blood was thicker than water.  
  
"Oh." She tried her best to suppress the disappointment she was feeling. 'This is Eriol!   
He hasn't seen his parents in person for two years!' Her mind was reeling. 'But!' She looked at   
him in the corner of her eye and noticed the sadness he was hiding. "That's great, Eriol-kun."   
She hugged him briefly. She wasn't going to be selfish especially since it was almost Christmas.  
  
"I know. Tomoyo-san...I..." He was trying to find the most apt words to tell her something of  
utmost importance.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I'm--"  
  
"Yo, Hiiragizawa! Daidouji!" He was cut short by Kazuma and Tsubasa. The inseparable duo came  
bounding down the street towards them.  
  
"Hi, guys." Tsubasa greeted. A huge smile was on her face. She nudged Tomoyo lightly. "So, how is  
the date going?"  
  
"Tsubasa!" The girls moved away from the boys to have some "girl talk".  
  
"It's going fine...Eriol-kun's parents are coming for Christmas," Tomoyo looked at one of the  
shops and smiled. "Isn't that one cute?" She pointed at a black cat plushie.   
  
"Yeah. It looks a lot like Hiiragizawa-san's cat though," Her friend commented.  
  
Spinel had been returned to Eriol after the incident in Tokyo Tower. He still appeared in   
Tomoyo's apartment occasionally though.  
  
"Want to see how much it costs?" Tsubasa offered.  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
"Guys, we're going in this shop."   
  
The two men nodded in agreement. A serious conversation was going on between the two and it was  
better if the girls didn't hear.  
  
"So, did you tell her?" Kazuma wasn't looking at Eriol.  
  
"I was just about to." Eriol gave emphasis on the last three words.  
  
"Oops. Sorry. But you should tell her now. She'd hate it if she heard from someone else."  
  
"It's complicated. And besides, it's almost Christmas. I don't want her to feel depressed during  
the holidays," He paused, "I'd hate to make her feel sad." He looked at the store where Tomoyo   
and Tsubasa where in.   
  
"Just don't take too long."  
  
"I will tell her...eventually."  
  
Yes, eventually...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was the 20th of December when he had gathered up all his courage to give her the news.  
  
Eleven fifty-seven.   
  
She would be leaving for Tomoeda in two hours.   
  
He dreaded it. The whole tell-your-girlfriend-the-truth-before-someone-else-tells-her.  
  
The truth? He would be leaving Japan in a month. His parents weren't here for just a visit, they  
were here to drag him back to England. The four years were almost up. He would receive his   
diploma earlier than the rest, the mandatory requirements all finished. Tomoyo would graduate  
cum laude and he would be but a memory in the campus.   
  
He had known this time would come, he just didn't want to face it head on. Allowing himself to   
fall in love with Tomoyo had not been a mistake--no, it was probably the only smart thing he had  
done all his three years and eleven months in Japan.  
  
But how well will she take it?  
  
How well will she accept it if she finds out that I may never return?  
  
Will she even talk to me after this?  
  
There was only one statement for this.  
  
He was so dead.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Finally!" Tomoyo shoved the last piece of clothing into her already bulky suitcase. She surveyed  
the room carefully, looking for anything that she might have missed.   
  
It was spotless except for Spinel, who was curled up by the door, asleep.  
  
She smiled at his contented figure and knelt down to pet his furry head.  
  
"Wake up, Spinel. You're going back to Eriol."  
  
It replied with a meow and went back to sleep.  
  
She sighed. "Come on now. You won't see me in two weeks..."  
  
The cat perked up at that as if it understood. It looked at her with its beady eyes and she could  
almost swear that the feline was pleading her to stay. Which was silly since cats couldn't   
comprehend what humans were saying. But this was Spinel. Spinel, who could tell the difference   
between plywood and hardwood even when she couldn't. Spinel, who visited her every time she and   
Eriol fought. Spinel, who spilled milk on Eriol's carpet but never hers. Spinel who...  
  
And suddenly, tears threatened to come out from Tomoyo's eyes. It was as if she felt suddenly  
lonely, as if someone of grave importance in her life was being taken away from her. That was   
asinine. Nobody was going anywhere without her knowing about it.  
  
Her thoughts were put aside when she heard the doorbell ring. Picking up Spinel, she hurried to  
greet her visitor. She knew it was Eriol even before she neared the door. It was a peculiar   
feeling; her stomach tightened as if it was home to a few hundred butterflies and her heart beat  
started pulsating almost twice the speed it usually did.  
  
She opened the door and smiled, "Konbawa, Eriol."  
  
He returned the smile yet she could sense an impassive feeling coming from him. "Konbawa,   
Daidouji-san."  
  
Daidouji-san? What was going on?   
  
"It's Tomoyo-san, Eriol-kun." She admonished him. He took no notice or if he did, he showed no   
signs of such. There was a pause, "Well, what are you standing around there? Come in."  
  
He followed her inside and she handed him Spinel.   
  
"He was being stubborn again."  
  
He merely nodded in acknowledgement. "Arigato."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
Silence.   
  
"What's wrong Eriol?" She knew. She knew something was troubling him. She knew him too well.  
Even his family didn't know him enough to be able to decipher his moods. And she only knew him   
for around 36 months.  
  
"Nothing." He couldn't bring himself to tell her...no.  
  
She sighed. "Now you're being stubborn." Something was definitely up. Eriol knew better than to   
lie...  
  
But she had been listening to Tsubasa's lectures on being a good girlfriend. Heaven knows where  
the girl got that stuff from but they seemed actually true. A certain phrase her friend said came  
to mind.  
  
Everyone goes at their own pace. He'll tell you when the time comes.  
  
And Tomoyo didn't let good advice go to waste.  
  
"It's all right if you don't want to talk about it. Just call me if you're ready," She gave him   
a small tired smile.  
  
Eriol received it and gave her one of his own. It was genuine one, screaming sorry and thanks for  
understanding! all in one.  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
And then he bade her goodbye with a hug that was unexpected and a parting kiss on the lips. He  
didn't deserve her, didn't deserve her at all.  
  
He was outside and once again he felt dead while his cat looked at him with accusing eyes.  
  
He couldn't do it.  
  
And Spinel couldn't do anything about it.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The train wasn't an option for someone who was taking one really big suitcase and a handbag to  
Tomoeda from Tokyo.  
  
First, both articles could get stolen.   
  
Secondly, they would be such a chore to bring up and down the stairs of the subway.  
  
And third, someone might get the impression that the person who was carrying said pieces of  
baggage was running away.  
  
That is why Daidouji Sonomi had been thoughtful enough to send a limousine to pick her daughter  
up together with her luggage. Add in a chauffer and three bodyguards and you get one first class  
land trip to Tomoeda.  
  
Tomoyo sat in the back of the car, deep in thought. Facing her were two bodyguards, both female.   
The third one was in front with the driver.   
  
She looked out of the window to avoid looking at the two women in front of her. They were nice  
people in general but she didn't fell like talking today. Not when her boyfriend was trying to  
hide something from her.  
  
"Are you all right, Tomoyo-sama?" One of the guards asked, lowering her glasses. It was the   
younger of the two, Orihime.  
  
The girl nodded then sighed. "It's nothing."  
  
Orihime didn't not push the subject any further.  
  
Silence.  
  
Suddenly, Tomoyo's cellphone rang. She answered it, not caring much who it was.  
  
"Moshi, moshi."  
  
"Tomoyo," To her surprise, the person on the other line was Eriol.  
  
"Ara, Eriol-kun."   
  
"I have something to tell you."  
  
Her forehead creased. This sounded important. "Go on."  
  
She heard Eriol inhale before he spoke, "I'm leaving."  
  
Leaving?  
  
"For where?" She gripped the phone tightly. She had to hear every thing he was saying.  
  
"I'm going back to England."  
  
"When? Did your parents cancel their trip and decided that you come instead of them?" She was  
being optimistic.  
  
"They're still coming."  
  
"Then why?"  
  
"Tomoyo-san, I'm going back for good. I don't think I'll return." He had said what she had   
dreaded most. She had known he would go back to his European home. But it was too soon.   
  
There was a pregnant pause.  
  
"Are you still there Tomoyo?"  
  
"Y-Yes. I'm glad for you, Eriol-kun." She tried her best to keep her tears from falling.  
  
He was going to leave her for another country.  
  
What about me?  
  
An involuntary tear slid down her pale face. Her bodyguards looked concerned and Tomoyo knew that  
it was time to end this call before she broke down into sobs. "I need to go. Thank you for   
telling me." She tried to smile but to no avail.   
  
"I love you, Tomoyo-san. See you in two weeks."   
  
The line went dead and the Daidouji girl cried.  
  
It was over.  
  
~~~THE END~~~  
  
Author's Notes: BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I am so evil. Yep, that's the ending. You didn't like the   
first one so I broke them up. Sorry guys. If you review lots maybe I'll make another chapter that  
would have a happy ending despite what I said/wrote earlier. 


End file.
